Norval Morrisseau: "Miskwaabik Animiiki / Copper Thunderbird" (Graham Bezant Collection: Toronto Star)
The head of the Norval Morrisseau art fraud ring has been sentenced.
Gary Lamont, who oversaw the frauds, is one of eight people who were charged in the investigation. He pleaded guilty Dec. 4 to a charge of making false documents — mostly artwork, in this case — and was sentenced to five years in prison on Dec. 14.
“Lamont oversaw the production and distribution of hundreds of forged artworks falsely attributed to Morrisseau starting in 2002, according to the agreed statement of facts submitted to the courts,” according to a CBC news report, which mentioned 190 “Lamont Ring Forgeries” have been identified so far.
It has been called by many the largest art fraud ring in Canadian history.
“This is more than just an art fraud. It’s an appropriation of a cultural and spiritual identity of one of Canada’s most loved and valued artists,” Justice Bonnie R. Warkentin said during the sentencing, according to a Global News report.
“The purpose of the creation of these fake paintings was to gain an economic benefit, but in the course of creating and selling these fakes, the legacy of Norval Morrisseau has been irrevocably damaged.”
Described by some as “the Picasso of the North,” Morrisseau was a self-taught painter, printmaker and illustrator from the Ojibway Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation in northwestern Ontario. A member of the Order of Canada, Morrisseau created the Woodland School of Art and was the first First Nations artist to have a solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada. His work is found in collections across Canada, including the Art Gallery of Ontario, the McMichael Canadian Collection and the Royal Ontario Museum. He died in Toronto at 75 in 2007.
Source: CBC, Global News, officialMorrisseau.com
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