Norval Morrisseau

Over the weekend, I decided to take a look at what docs TVO has.  Ended up watching this:

https://www.tvo.org/video/documentaries/there-are-no-fakes

I have not seen that.

If that doc left you further interested in Morrisseau's wild life, we have a few different biographies of him. To me he is the archetype of those artists who sit at the edge of genius/shaman/trickster/pervert/criminal/self-destruction. I still think back to  Morrisseau's story, I want to call it a 'tragic story' but that's not really right..he lived as he wanted...
'Wolves Don't Live By The Rules' made me think of Morrisseau.

Wolves Copper Thunderbirds Don't Live By The Rules

What surprised me in the doc, was the fact that Norval's name appears to have been used in a massive art fraud ring in the early 2000's. But now that I've seen a bit of footage of him, and more of his (real) work, I would be interested to know more about him, despite the self-destruction aspects of his life.

"massive art fraud ring"

If you mention 'Morrisseau' at all in a Mantoulian art shop, people will start ranting on it ... but I'm not sure if they would have the same perspective as the documentary.

I think Morrisseau loved being a trickster and if fake versions of his painting tricking rich white people into giving $$$ to First Nations artists he'd be fine. Unfortunately the way this world often works means that it was likely rich white people ripping off rich white people using First Nation fetishism... Morrisseau is laughing either way.

I think Orson Welles' "F for Fake" would be a good companion piece. Welles & Morrisseau were artists down to their bone marrow & so they are in on the joke. All the rich people fighting about the "market value" of "real" paintings just don't get it.

Reading multiple versions of Morrisseau's story changed me - the clash of the poverty of Northern Ontario reservations with the wealth of the Toronto art scene, the hopes of a (govt-funded) First Nations cultural revival during the 60s turning into the Reagan $$$-fueled 80s, the thin line between shamanism, art and self-destruction...

Morrisseau was the subject of two NFB docs, The Colours of Pride (1973) and The Paradox of Norval Morrisseau (1974).

The insights are appreciated. I'll look into seeing those films. So, am I to understand the comments about Orson Welles and Morrisseau mean that they are interested in art for art's sake, and damn any monetary involvement in it?

Not just "art for art's sake" but tricksters (Morriseau was a shaman, Welles a stage magician) who understood "the whole art scene is a wonderful yet horrible scam"



The stories of both Morriseau & Welles expose the money-machinery behind the magic - that's something even a good "Behind the Record" documentary rarely does.

Morriseau's story a horror story due to the sheer amount of exploitation. Every Northern Ontarian should look at his cautionary story as what happens when the Toronto capitalist elites (including some Iroquois) find something they like up here. Soon locals can not afford to buy local painting once southern money floods the market - but that same flood  can rocket an poverty-line artist into the American, European and even global art scenes.

When the "new-age" philosophy of the 60-70s was adopted by corporations during the 1980s, Morriseau's art became a common office decoration in the board offices of Japan, Germany and North America. This alone meant millions of dollars not including the 'art gallery' sales yet Morriseau ended by homeless a decade later...

In some ways Morriseau's story is like 'The Hole Story', about how severe Northern poverty generates such crazy wealth for Southerns. It's like the great drug-puzzle: opium is farmed by poor peasants and bought by poor addicts yet all the dealers, lawyers and police are rich...

Steph and I really enjoy this TVO documentary, with a great mixture of Blake Debassige, Shirley Cheechoo, and Leland Bell's art, music and humble artistic philosophies -----but watching them head south to be "recognized as true artists" .... where rich white Torontians come to control and exploit them while talking about 'giving them their voice back'...

https://www.tvo.org/video/archive/dreams-myths-and-memories

I appreciate the analogy with The Hole Story.  It helped me gain some clarity on an issue I've rarely given much thought to!  Having said that, I realize I've a lot to learn about it all...

But with presently re-visiting Yes Minister (3rd season, halfway), then Yes Prime Minister to do, always sprinkling in some Barney Miller, guitar practise, planning, starting and building gardens, breaking down skids, playing a little piano and harmonica, etc....I don't know when I'm going to get around to viewing all the content I'm being introduced to on here.  But I'll see what I can do.  I'll make a list.  I LOVE making lists!

Early in this covid time, I found myself commenting much more on facebook (often simply click "like") for feeling more connected, especially to those whom I've not seen in a few years - living out on The Rock.  In a few small, but meaningful ways I did get that gratification.

But I want to add I've thoroughly enjoyed reading some of the topics written on here, the linked articles, twitter feeds and/or videos in recent weeks - even though I might not respond.

I forgot to add...I'm still working away with Hearts of Space programs. Half a dozen at least. But I'll soon bring that back to Tower of Song, I'll say.

Turns out that The Colours of Pride and The Paradox of Norval Morrisseau are both presently tagged as Campus films on NFB.  In other words, I have to pay to watch them.