Art Fraud Scandal Impacts Winnipeg Art GalleryArt Fraud Scandal Impacts Winnipeg Art Gallery The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) has become the latest victim of a massive art fraud case, involving 1,500 fake works falsely attributed to legendary Anishinaabe painter Norval Morrisseau. David Voss, a Thunder Bay man, pleaded guilty to forgery and uttering forged documents for his role in creating and distributing the fraudulent art. Among the identified fakes is a piece titled “Astral Plain Explorers,” which was acquired by WAG in 2000 from a private donor. The painting was initially believed to be by Morrisseau but was later identified as a counterfeit. Morrisseau, a celebrated Indigenous artist, was known for his unique style and faced significant forgery issues throughout his career. His works were often copied and imitated, resulting in a market saturated with fake pieces. The WAG expressed sadness on behalf of victims who unknowingly purchased or cherished forged works, particularly Morrisseau and his family. The gallery has yet to decide on the fate of the counterfeited painting, which remains in storage. This art fraud case highlights the ongoing issue of forgery and imitation in the art world, a problem that has plagued artists and collectors throughout history.
The Winnipeg Art Gallery is the latest institution to encounter the largest documented case of art fraud in Canadian history.
On Friday, after a lengthy investigation, the WAG was informed by Thunder Bay police that an artwork in the collection previously believed to have been produced by legendary Anishinaabe painter Norval Morrisseau was fraudulent and created as part of an elaborate reproduction plan and outright counterfeiting. by a now-convicted Thunder Bay man named David Voss.
On June 4, Voss pleaded guilty to forgery and uttering forged documents for his role at the forefront of a fabrication ring that operated from 1996 to 2019.
BRAIN GIEBELHAU / EDMONTON JOURNAL FILES
Norval Morrisseau was a member of the Indian Group of Seven.
So far, authorities have identified at least 1,500 fake works falsely attributed to Morrisseau, an internationally respected painter who survived St. Joseph’s Indian Industrial School in Thunder Bay to become one of the country’s most important visual artists.
It has now been confirmed that one of Voss’s Faux-rrisseaus is a work with the title Astral Plain Explorerscurrently kept in the WAG-Qaumajuq vault, says Stephen Borys, director and CEO of the gallery.
The piece was acquired by the gallery in 2000 as a one-time donation from a private donor who has since passed away, Borys told the Free press Tuesday.
Even while he was alive, Morrisseau, who founded the Woodlands School of Canadian Art, was dogged by a persistent, growing market of fraudulent copies of his existing works, as well as large-scale fabrications of works he never created, produced in his signature style . , with striking black lines enveloping provocative bursts of color.
Morrisseau, an artist who often gave works away as gifts or for sale, allowed a litany of scammers to spoil his generosity.
Considered one of the most influential artists in Canadian history, dubbed “the Picasso of the North” by French painter Marc Chagall, Morrisseau died in 2007 amid significant struggle to verify which pieces he had created and which – such as those created by Voss’s operation were blatant attempts to capitalize on his distinctive approach.
Borys says the gallery was alerted to the possible fraud involving the artwork three years ago and has since worked with police, investigators and other museums across the country to share access to information.
“The WAG is not alone (addressing this issue),” he said.
The museum offered to share the painting with police to assist with the investigation, but was told that would not be necessary, so the fraudulent work remained in the vault.
Astral Plain Explorers, which has not been exhibited in recent history, is believed to have been produced in 1976, but was identified early on by researchers and investigators as a possible counterfeit because it fit within the parameters of other known imitations and forgeries, Borys says.
SASHA SEFTER / FREE PRESS FILES
Norval Morrisseau’s Androgyny is repeated with flowers at Art In Bloom in 2019; Another Morrisseau in the WAG collection has been confirmed to be a forgery.
A sworn confession by Voss this month confirmed those initial suspicions.
Art fraud and forgery are not a modern phenomenon, says Borys, who points to notable artists of the time – Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Picasso, to name a few – whose extensive oeuvres were often littered with examples of counterfeiting and imitation.
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“This is nothing new, but the scale (of Morrisseau forgeries) is significant. “I don’t remember anything of this magnitude,” said Borys, an adjunct professor at the University of Winnipeg in the history department.
Borys expressed sorrow on behalf of art institutions and collectors who acquired or cherished now confirmed fake pieces in good faith, but was adamant that the clearest victims of the crimes are Morrisseau himself and the artist’s family.
Borys said Tuesday that the gallery has not yet decided on next steps for the work in question.
For the time being, the WAG will continue to store the forged piece in the safe. The gallery also owns 11 other authentic works by Morrisseau, none of which have been flagged for possible fraud.
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Ben Waldman
News reporter
Ben Waldman is a National Newspaper Award-nominated reporter on the Arts & Life desk of the Free press. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Ben completed three internships at the Free press while earning his degree from Ryerson University’s School of Journalism (now Toronto Metropolitan University) before joining the newsroom full-time in 2019. Read more about Ben.
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