Norval Morrisseau was the first Indigenous Canadian artist to gain recognition in the art world. His work was selling for tens of thousands of dollars by the turn of the century. When Kevin Hearn, keyboardist for the Barenaked Ladies, discovered his prized painting was a forgery, he filed a lawsuit. However, as Jamie Kastner's documentary reveals, there was a cottage industry in fake Morrisseaus, which thrived unchecked for years, feeding on greed, exploitation, racism, and contempt.
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Norval Morrisseau was the first Indigenous Canadian artist to gain recognition in the art world. His work was selling for tens of thousands of dollars by the turn of the century. When Kevin Hearn, keyboardist for the Barenaked Ladies, discovered his prized painting was a forgery, he filed a lawsuit. However, as Jamie Kastner's documentary reveals, there was a cottage industry in fake Morrisseaus, which thrived unchecked for years, feeding on greed, exploitation, racism, and contempt.
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