Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Blog Master's Public Address XII

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~ To all readers happy holidays and prosperous 2015 ~

From left to right: Ugo Matulić (Blog Master) with his brother JakÅ¡a by the Indian totem after the screening of one of the "Winnetou" films, based on German author Karl May novels; OmiÅ¡, Croatia - July 1966; Sourcewww.almissa.com /Click on image to Enlarge/



















Hi to all,

I appreciate all of you visiting the NORVAL MORRISSEAU BLOG. It is proving to be an exciting success as I have always anticipated it would be. The subject is dynamic and evolving to say the least. I wish to thank all the contributors for encouraging me to continue with this monumental project which is dedicated entirely to protecting the integrity of Norval Morrisseau's art and the preservation of his artistic legacy.

I am using this opportunity to express a special thank you to my very good friend, the late Michael Moniz who passed away on April 13th, 2013, for his relentless and unwavering dedication. Without his assistance this platform would not have been possible.

The main purpose of the NORVAL MORRISSEAU BLOG is to share information with anyone interested in the Woodland/Anishnaabe School of Art that Norval Morrisseau and other early aboriginal artists started in the late 1950's. From this start that is linked to the cliff paintings seen along the canoe routes of antiquity, and others yet to be found in other sparsely settled areas of North and South America, Canada and the World has become aware of the artistic genius of Our aboriginal culture.

This artistic genius doesn't stop at visual art alone but extends to the written and performing arts that are also being recognized. I am proud to be in the vanguard of the enlightened and non-commercially oriented people that want to extend their knowledge base to any other interested groups or individuals.

NORVAL MORRISSEAU BLOG isn't a sales, buying or authentication platform but will exhibit any to aid in the education of the blog readers that are growing in number.

Allow me again to introduce myself to those who don't know me.

I was born in Split, Croatia. As a child I saw, and continue to see, the Indians of North America as members of an outstanding race. My favourite childhood memory was the time when 'Winnetou' movies were filmed in Croatia (then part of Yugoslavia). As a memento from that time were countless memories and a photograph with my brother and I in front of Indian totem pole in my hometown of OmiÅ¡, Croatia after the filming of one of the 'Winnetou' movies based on novels by the best-selling German author of all time - Karl May.

My arrival in North America (24 years ago) provided the greatest discovery - NORTH AMERICAN NATIVE SPIRITUALITY.

When I emigrated to Canada my aim was to become a true Canadian and contribute to the advancement of this outstanding country. I also wanted to advance the cause of the First Nations Citizens. The best way I could do this appeared through advancing the cause of native art. Researching the background of Norval Morrisseau and other native artists and their lives has shown the adversity these artists had to overcome to become recognized. Some wonderful people emerged through this research, as did the hardships the art goddess imposed on many of these talented artists.

The subject of my passion is Norval Morrisseau's art. He was one of the very few artists who started a completely new art movement: the Woodland/Anishnaabe School of Art, and has been dubbed the Father of Canadian Aboriginal Art. My extensive knowledge and research along with my personal collection which I have amassed over the years are what I draw my knowledge base from. I have been fortunate to acquire a collection which consists of pieces of genuine Norval Morrisseau art that span all of his career from 1952 to 2002.

It seems like almost every day I find a new and fantastical correlation within this man's work. It is never ending. The scope and depth of Morrisseau's visions throughout his lifetime have left an impact on my soul that I cannot describe in words. "Perhaps I should paint as Morrisseau did to express feelings otherwise would not be explicable within my vocabulary?" His Art Work is my passion...

... The artistic genius of Norval Morrisseau was best described by Jack Pollock (1930-1992) who wrote: "...Norval, with his incredible ability with the formal problems of art (colour-design-space) and his commitment to the world of his people, the great Ojibway, give one the sense of power that only genius provides... It is sufficient to say that in the history of Canadian Painting, few have, and will remain giants. Norval shall."

Thank you for your continuing support.


INVITATION TO ALL READERS:

There are many of you who possess important valuable information such as paintings, photographs and other printed/written materials which will greatly assist our common goal. I urge you to provide this information to me for public record. Norval Morrisseau has become one of Canada's greatest all time artists and is recognized for his importance Worldwide...

... All the parties mentioned in posts presented on this platform are free to comment on this blog's findings under condition that they present their statements and opinions which are backed up with documentation to support these statements and these opinions.

ONLY statements and opinions which are supported with corresponding documentation will be published on this platform for public record and possible discussion.

Also, this invitation extends not just to the individuals and organizations mentioned on this platform but to all Norval Morrisseau's admirers, researchers, investigators, news reporters and art collectors as long as they verifiably disclose their identity...

... Your assistance is needed now! Your actions will greatly benefit your art as an investment and safeguard Norval Morrisseau's Legacy.

Thank you/Miigwetch,

Ugo Matulić a.k.a. Spirit Walker
/spiritwalker2008@gmail.com/

> For the purposes of this blog I would like to be referred to as Spirit Walker. Miigwetch!




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>>> Reference posts:
- Blog Master's Public Address I,
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Blog Master's Public Address II,
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Blog Master's Public Address III,
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Blog Master's Public Address IV,
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Blog Master's Public Address V,
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Blog Master's Public Address VI,
-
Blog Master's Public Address VII,
- Blog Master's Public Address VIII,

- Blog Master's Public Address IX,
- Blog Master's Public Address XI,
- Will the real SpiritWalker please stand up?, - The real Spirit Walker is standing up!, - Ugo Matulic wins $1,000,000 SLAPP suit against Kinsman Robinson Galleries (Part I)/Blog Master's Public Address X)- >>> The Story behind photograph published in the post "The real Spirit Walker is standing up!" & - The Best-Selling German Author of All Time /Ref. Karl May/.-
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Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Beware of Norval Morrisseau on Wikipedia (Part II)

 read -
WARNING! ~ WIKIPEDIA page maintained by Mr. Ritchie Sinclair who has been discredited in a pivotal court case relevant to authenticity of Norval Morrisseau artworks





























Screen capture from WIKIPEDIA; be very cautious if proceeding...

~ Wikipedia: General disclaimer:
   WIKIPEDIA MAKES NO GUARANTEE OF VALIDITY

"The content of any given article may recently have been changed, vandalized or altered by someone whose opinion does not correspond with the state of knowledge in the relevant fields." ~ WIKIPEDIA


>>> IMPORTANT: See below to read about this pivotal court case relevant to authenticity of Norval Morrisseau artworks. This critical information was "conveniently avoided" by Mr. Ritchie Sinclair on Norval Morrisseau's page on WIKIPEDIA as it worked against his own agenda of continuing devaluation of genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings, especially those artworks signed by the artist with a dry brush (DB) technique.


A landmark court decision confirms the authenticity of thousands of Norval  Morrisseau paintings! 

ArtworksHatfield vs. Artworld of Sherway
/Court File No. SC-09-087264-0000/

~ The following is the analysis and decision of Deputy Judge Paul J. Martial's judgement dated March 25th, 2013 and officially issued by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on April 2nd, 2013 (Pages 35 - 39) 


ANALYSIS – copy of Judge Martial’s Judgment
(Note: For clarity and brevity, we have removed Judge Martial’s lengthy supporting quotes from the trial transcripts, which he added between the paragraphs)

"The Court has considered in excess of some 750 pages of testimony over five days of hearing and reviewed the exhibits and considered the detailed written submissions of counsel.

"The Court finds that there is overwhelming evidence that Norval Morrisseau signed paintings in black brush paint.


"The eye witness testimony of his brother Wilfred Morrisseau who lived with him for substantial periods of time in the North and elsewhere and who saw him sign in black brush paint is convincing and credible.

"The testimony of Marlow Goring supports his testimony in regards to the practise of the artist signing paintings in black brush.

"Wilfred Morrisseau's testimony that his brother painted while in jail and his explanation of his brother's decadent lifestyle and his carefree attitude to life provides a cogent explanation for the lack of receipts to document the provenance.

"The Court adopts Wilfred Morrisseau's testimony that his brother painted a significant number of paintings en masse and it is therefore reasonable to conclude that his production was in the thousands.


"The testimony of Mr. Joseph McLeod is indicative of his care and the detailed efforts to confirm provenance, including the hiring of a forensic expert to examine the signature on the back of the painting indicate that he took his role to provide appraisals seriously.

"His testimony of the origin of the Cree syllabic signature, the name Copper Thunderbird and his interpretation of the painting "Wheel of Life" demonstrates his depth of knowledge of the painter due to his lengthy association with the artist.

"His explanation of the brown more muted colour of the painting compared to the brighter later paintings is credible when considered in the context of pictographs near Lac Seul and in Nipigon where Morrisseau lived and likely the inspiration of the earlier paintings. Such pictographs were also known to exist in the Petroglyphs near Peterborough where Morrisseau formerly resided.

"The Defendants acted reasonably in obtaining one of two appraisals from Mr. Joseph McLeod to authenticate the painting due to his knowledge of and prior dealings with the artist due to the controversy about provenance.

"The Court received the statutory declarations of Norval Morrisseau and letters filed by the Plaintiff in support of the allegation of forgery. This evidence was relevant and although hearsay was admitted since it was relevant to the central issue - Was the painting a forgery?

"In assessing the reliability of that evidence however, the Court notes that since this evidence was not subject to cross-examination it had to be carefully weighed in light of the testimony of all of the witnesses.

"The Plaintiff's own witness Donald Robinson provided viva voce testimony of Norval Morrisseau's inconsistency and difficulty in identifying his own work, and of his unpredictability.

"He agreed that Morrisseau could have memory problems from 2003 to 2006, and of his decline in health due to his illness.

Robinson's admission that he was not surprised that Morrisseau would sign a certificate of authenticity to please also cast doubt on the reliability of the statutory declarations signed by Morrisseau.

"His testimony coupled with the testimony of other witnesses of Morrisseau's Parkinson's disease raises a significant doubt of the reliability of the statutory declarations.

"Although a letter from a lawyer who was present at the signing of the statutory declaration and a doctor's letter were filed at trial, no expert testimony of capacity was proffered by the Plaintiff on such a key issue.

"Mr. Robinson was qualified as an expert in the area of valuation and appraisal. His testimony however overlapped into the area of handwriting and included an analysis of syllabic and English handwriting, areas for which he was not qualified.

"He has no formal training as an expert witness in handwriting analysis and his evidence is rejected.

"Dr. Singla's forensic evidence is preferred in this regard and his finding that it is highly probable that the painting "Wheel of Life" was painted by Norval Morrisseau was supported by his detailed technical analysis of known signatures of' Norval Morrisseau.

"Mr. Robinson also testified as to his personal dealings with Morrisseau paintings. It was his view that there were a large number of forgeries.

"It was also clear that his personal views and business interests conflicted with his professional opinion since it was in his interest along with Mr. Vadas to maintain the price of Morrisseau paintings which would not otherwise be the case if the market was flooded with paintings sourced from Potter auctions.

"The Court rejects his expert report and his conclusion that the Morellian analysis, style, colour, and provenance all pointed to forgery.

"Mr. Joseph McLeod's testimony is preferred to that of Mr. Ritchie Sinclair. Mr. Sinclair's testimony of numerous forgers paid for with drugs although dramatic was not supported by the evidence.

DECISION

"After a careful consideration of all of the evidence, the Court finds that on the balance of probabilities that the painting "Wheel of Life" dated February 1979 is an original Norval Morrisseau and undoubtedly one of his most notorious paintings.

"The painting “Wheel of Life" is not a forgery. The Defendants did not misrepresent the authenticity of the painting.

"The Plaintiff's claim is dismissed with costs fixed at $1,500.00 dollars pursuant to the written submissions of counsel.

"Dated at Toronto this 25th day of March 2013.

Signed
/Paul J. Martial/"


~ This document, issued by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, also includes the introduction, plaintiff's and defence evidence as well as summary of testimonies by Ms. Margaret Hatfield, Mr. Donald Robinson, Mr. Ritchie Sinclair, Ms. Donna Child, Mr. Wilfred Morrisseau, Mr. Kevin Cott, Mr. Joseph McLeod, Mr. Marlow Goring, Dr. Atul K. Singla and Mr. James White.
                  /Complete Original Downloadable Document/

                 
 
  
 "Wheel of Life", © 1979 Norval Morrisseau / Ontario Superior Court of Justice 














Presented below is Justice Mary Anne Sanderson’s written judgment for the 'Hatfield vs. Artworld of Sherway' appeal:

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CITATION: Hatfield v. Child, 2013 ONSC 7801
DIVISIONAL COURT FILE NO. 209/13
DATE: 2013-12-17

ONTARIO
SUPERIOR COURT OF JUSTICE
Divisional Court

BETWEEN: MARGARET HATFIELD Plaintiff/Appellant
AND: DONNA CHILD and ARTWORLD INC. doing business as ARTWORLD OF SHERWAY, Defendants/Respondents

BEFORE: M.A. SANDERSON J.

COUNSEL: Jonathan J. Sommer for the Plaintiff/Appellant
                    Brian G. Shiller for the Defendants/Respondents 

E N D O R S E M E N T

Introduction

[1] This is an appeal by the appellant Hatfield from the decision of the Honourable Deputy Judge Paul Martial of the Toronto Small Claims Court (“the trial Judge”) dated March 25, 2013.

[2] Hatfield, the plaintiff below, alleged in her action that the Respondents/Defendants (“the Defendants”) had sold her a painting attributed to the artist Norval Morrisseau (“Morrisseau”) that was a fake.

[3] The trial Judge ruled after a five day trial that Wheel of Life ("the painting”) is an authentic Morrisseau and dismissed her claim.

Background Facts

[4] On February 26, 2005, Hatfield purchased Wheel of Life from the Defendant ArtWorld of Sherway for $10,350.

[5] In April of 2009 Hatfield learned that on September 24, 2004, the artist had signed a Statutory Declaration denouncing as fakes a number of paintings, including Wheel of Life.

[6] Assuming mistakenly that the gallery director of ArtWorld, Donna Child (”Child”) had been aware of the Statutory Declaration at the time she had sold Wheel of Life to her, she contacted Ritchie Sinclair (”Sinclair”).

[7] Hatfield did not contact Bremner and/or Mcleod, the authors of the two documents the Defendants had provided to her at the time of her purchase, purporting to authenticate and appraise Wheel of Life. The trial Judge found "essentially she relied on Robinson and Sinclair.

The Trial

[8] Counsel for Hatfield called three witnesses to give evidence at trial: Hatfield, Donald Robinson (“Robinson”) and Sinclair.

[9] Counsel for the Defendants called seven witnesses: Child, McLeod, Wilfred Morrisseau, Dr. Singla, Cott and Goring.

The Appeal

[10] In argument on the appeal, counsel for the Appellant challenged the trial Judge’s finding of fact and his legal conclusions.

Submissions on Errors of Fact

[11] At trial, the trial Judge sorted through much conflicting evidence.

[12] Counsel for Hatfield submitted that the trial Judge acted unfairly in accepting the evidence of the Defendants and rejecting the evidence of the Plaintiff.

[13] In my view there was ample evidence to support the trial Judge's finding that Morrisseau signed the back of Wheel of Life in black paint.

[14] Dr Singla provided a detailed report attesting to the authenticity of Morrisseau’s signature on the back of Wheel of Life.

[15] In reaching his conclusion, it was open to the trial Judge to prefer the evidence of Dr Singla, an independent expert with a PHD in Forensic Science, a diploma in document examination and 30 years' experience in handwriting analysis, that it was highly probable that it was Morrisseau's signature on the back of Wheel of Life, over the evidence of Robinson that Morrisseau almost never [signed his signature in English with brush and black paint]: "Not to my knowledge have I ever seen it."

[16] Counsel for Hatfield submitted the trial Judge acted unfairly and contrary to his own earlier ruling when he ruled that Robinson had no expertise in handwriting and that that ruling deprived Hatfield of the benefit of any expert evidence on the point. I disagree. The trial Judge did consider Robinson’s evidence that Morrisseau did not sign his works in black paint but he preferred the evidence of Dr Singla, as he was entitled to do. In reaching his conclusion on Morrisseau's signature, he also relied on the evidence of fact witnesses Wilfred Morrisseau and Marlowe Goring, who said they had personally witnessed Morrisseau signing the backs of his works in black paint. He was entitled to accept that evidence on that point.

[17] The trial Judge was entitled to consider that in 1990 Robinson had personally purchased 28 Morrisseau paintings, believing they were genuine.

[18] Similarly, the trial Judge was entitled to reject the evidence of Sinclair and to conclude it was unsupported and unreliable. Sinclair could produce no documentary evidence to support his assertion that a well organized forgery ring painted the works auctioned by Khan Auctions.

[19] The trial Judge noted Sinclair gave evidence that he did not view the original paintings before condemning them as fakes.

[20] The trial Judge was entitled to consider and accept the evidence of Cott, an independent witness with no stake in the litigation, when rejecting the evidence of Sinclair.

[21] Therefore, I do not accept the submission of counsel for Hatfield that the trial Judge simply rejected the evidence of the Plaintiff in a wholesale manner.

[22] Further, in my view it was open to the trial Judge on the evidence to have “significant doubt” as to its reliability of Morrisseau’s September 24, 2004 Statutory Declaration. It was open to the trial Judge not to place any weight on the letter from Morrisseau's doctor commenting on his health at the time he signed the Statutory Declaration. The authenticity of the doctor's letter was challenged at trial. Counsel for Hatfield did not call the doctor to give evidence at trial.

[23] There was evidence that Morrisseau painted more than 10,000 paintings over a career spanning more than 40 years and that Morrisseau struggled with chronic alcoholism and drug addiction over many years.

[24] Robinson gave evidence he had observed Morrisseau himself having difficulty telling whether or not his own painting was a fake.

[25] It was open to the trial Judge to accept White’s evidence that he had researched 3 statutory declarations signed by Morrisseau and had concluded they were inconsistent with each other. Robinson had also agreed that Morrisseau was somewhat inconsistent in his identification of fakes. There was also evidence from Robinson, a witness called by counsel for Hatfield, that from 2003-2006 Morrisseau's health was poor. He agreed Morrisseau could have had memory problems.

[26] McLeod was called to defend his appraisal of Wheel of Life. It was open to the trial Judge to find on the evidence before him that McLeod was an authority on Morrisseau and his work, having dealt with his art for over 50 years, that Mcleod was a credible witness and that the Defendants had acted reasonably in relying upon McLeod’s appraisal of Wheel of Life at the time it was offered for sale to Hatfield.

[27] Before he signed the appraisal, McLeod had conducted an independent review, including speaking with members of Morrisseau’s family, and had satisfied himself that Wheel of Life was genuine. He and White had had a forensic expert check the signature on the back. He had tracked Morrisseau to find out where he had been in February 1979 when Wheel of Life was painted.

[28] While I accept the submission of counsel for Hatfield that the trial Judge did not specifically mention the affidavit of Michele Vadas [who did not give evidence at trial], I find it was open to him to prefer the evidence of Dr. Singla, Wilfred Morrisseau and Goring over her evidence.

[29] While I accept the submission of counsel for Hatfield that at the beginning of his Reasons, the trial Judge erred in referring to Morrisseau having Altzheimer's, it is clear that he corrected his mistake later in his Reasons and repeatedly referred to Morrisseau’s health condition as Parkinson’s disease. While I accept that he may have also confused the evidence as to whether Robinson and McLeod were members of the Art Dealers of Canada, I am satisfied that neither inaccuracy affected his overall conclusions.

[30] The law is clear that factual findings of a trial Judge should not be overturned on appeal in the absence of palpable and overriding errors. Housen v Mikolaisen, [2002] S.C.R. 33.

[31] In my view, the trial Judge made no palpable and overriding error in his findings of fact.

Submissions on Errors of Law

[32] Counsel for the Appellant submitted that the trial Judge based his decision upon non-existent or inadmissible hearsay evidence.

[33] In considering this submission, I have noted that this is a Small Claims Court action. Section 27 of the Courts of Justice Act permits documentary and oral hearsay evidence in Small Claims Court trials. That said, I accept the submission of counsel for Hatfield that the Small Claims Court rule must be applied fairly and even handedly. Having reviewed the evidence and the findings forming the subject of his complaint, I have concluded that the trial Judge made no reversible legal error. I have noted generally that some evidence was given about documents that were not entered into evidence. At the same time, that evidence could have formed the basis for objections and cross-examination. In most instances, counsel did not object to the admission of the evidence about which he now complains.

[34] Having reviewed that evidence, I have concluded that the trial Judge did not place much weight on it in any event.

[35] Counsel for Hatfield also submitted the trial Judge relied on evidence that could only have been given by a qualified expert.

[36] I have rejected his submission that the trial Judge was precluded from relying on the evidence of Wilfred Morrisseau on the basis that he gave evidence that only an expert should have been allowed to give. In my view, he was a fact witness who could give important evidence based on his own personal observations. The trial Judge emphasized that evidence in his Reasons, not his evidence on matters arguably properly only within the purview of an expert witness.

[37] Counsel for Hatfield submitted the trial Judge also relied on evidence of McLeod that should only have been given by a qualified expert. I note that McLeod was called as a fact witness because he had prepared an appraisal that had been provided to Hatfield at the time of her purchase of Wheel of Life. His experience and knowledge of Morrisseau's work was relevant to the determination of the reasonableness of the Defendants' actions at the time of the sale. While McLeod did give evidence on the authenticity of Wheel of Life, I am satisfied that the critical evidence on which the trial Judge based his conclusion that Wheel of Life was authentic was the evidence of Dr. Singla [with whose expertise he was satisfied] and the two fact witnesses Wilfred Morrisseau and Goring. As noted earlier, on the properly admissible evidence, he was entitled to reach the conclusions he did and to reject the evidence of Robinson.

[38] The Appellant submitted that the trial Judge failed to provide adequate reasons.

[39] I disagree. He ordered a transcript and reviewed over 750 pages of evidence. He reviewed the exhibits, considered detailed written submissions of counsel and wrote 38 pages of Reasons that in my view sufficiently explained why he reached the conclusions that he did. He outlined why he had concluded (1) that Morrisseau had signed paintings in black acrylic paint; (2) that Morrisseaus’s Statutory Declaration was unreliable; and (3) that the Defendants had acted reasonably at the time of the sale. His reasons permitted effective review. Clifford v Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System 2009 ONCA 670 (CanLII), (2009) 98 O.R. (3d) 210 O.C.A. para 29.

[40] The Appellant submitted the trial Judge erred in law in failing to canvass the law related to cloud on title. In my view that was unnecessary in light of his factual finding that Wheel of Life was authentic. In any event, no authority was provided equating cloud on title with latent defect.

[41] Counsel for Hatfield submitted that despite the finding of authenticity, the trial judgment may not guarantee that the value of Wheel of Life would not have been affected by the existence of the Statutory Declaration about which the Defendants failed to advise Hatfield before she purchased Wheel of Life.

[42] On the evidence, at the time the Defendants sold Wheel of Life to Hatfield they were not aware of the existence of the Statutory Declaration dated September 24, 2004. Despite the information the Defendants did have at the time of the sale, there was evidence to support the trial Judge's finding that the Defendants acted reasonably at the time of the sale. There was no error of law in that regard and that ground of appeal must also fail.

[43] In summary, while the trial Judge made some minor errors of fact, he had a sufficient basis to reach the factual conclusions he did. He made no reversible error of law.

Disposition

[44] The appeal is therefore dismissed, with costs fixed at $7500. 

___________________
M.A. SANDERSON J.
 

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~ Funded by Canada’s lawyers and notaries for the benefit of all, CanLII provides free access to legal information 


            /Complete Original Downloadable Document/

                

 
 
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> This video was originally published by CTV News (Canada AM) on Wednesday, Apr. 23, 2014 showing important testimonies of the top international forensics and handwriting expert, Dr. Atul K. Singla of Worldwide Forensic Services Inc. (Toronto, Ontario) & the defendant Ms. Donna Child of Artworld of Sherway (Toronto, Ontario);
/ © 2014 Bell Media All rights reserved/

NOTE: This video has been republished as a matter of significant public interest

Important note: "The Hatfield case was unique in that it represented the first time a Morrisseau authentication joust had proceeded through a complete trial – it required five hearings spanning about two and a half years and resulting in 750 pages of published evidence – and ended with a judicial ruling."'The Globe and Mail'
 
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 >>> In a recent court judgement "Hatfield vs. Artworld of Sherway" /Court File No. SC-09-087264-0000/ Judge Paul J. Martial stated the following about Mr. Joseph McLeod of Maslak McLeod Gallery:

“He demonstrated a superior depth of knowledge of Morrisseau…” (Judgment by Judge Paul J Martial: March 25th, 2013 - Page 25)


“The testimony of Mr. Joseph McLeod is indicative of his care and the detailed effort to confirm provenance, including the hiring of a forensic expert to examine the signature on the back of the painting indicate that he took his role to provide appraisals seriously. His testimony… demonstrates his depth of knowledge of the painter due to his lengthy association with the artist.”
(Judgment by Judge Paul J Martial: March 25th, 2013 - Page 35)


"His (Ritchie Sinclair's) methodology in identifying forgeries is clearly inadequate and suspect since he testified that he does not even view the original paintings before condemning them as fakes." (Judgment by Judge Paul J Martial: March 25th, 2013 - Page 16)


"Mr. Robinson (of Kinsman Robinson Galleries) was qualified as an expert in the area of valuation and appraisal. His testimony however overlapped into the area of handwriting and included an analysis of syllabic and English handwriting, areas for which he was not qualified.

"He has no formal training as an expert witness in handwriting analysis and his evidence is rejected. (Judgment by Judge Paul J Martial: March 25th, 2013 - Page 37)


"Dr. Singla's forensic evidence is preferred in this regard and his finding that it is highly probable that the painting "Wheel of Life" was painted by Norval Morrisseau was supported by his detailed technical analysis of known signatures of' Norval Morrisseau. (Judgment by Judge Paul J Martial: March 25th, 2013 - Page 37)


"The Court finds that there is overwhelming evidence that Norval Morrisseau signed paintings in black brush paint.” (Judgment by Judge Paul J Martial: March 25th, 2013 - Page 34)

 
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Other sources):

 The Conspiracy Theorists Lose Court Case Round #7
- “CT Proxy #4” Hatfield (Robinson, Sinclair) (loser) v Artworld (triumphant)
Judge Paul J Martial Part 1: on Margaret Hatfield’s Case
Judge Paul J Martial Part 2: on Norval Morrisseau’s Case
Judge Paul J Martial Part 3: on Donald Robinson’s Case
Source: theMorrisseauHoaxExposedBlog.com/courts/
/Comprehensive Study on The Greatest Fraud in Canadian Art History/

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Additional notes:

Jonathan Sommer's court case (representing Mr. Kevin Hearn) which came with false allegations about Mr. Joseph McLeod's integrity as a Norval Morrisseau expert: Maslak McLeod Gallery sued for selling a genuine Norval Morrisseau painting to Kevin Hearn - Band member of the Barenaked Ladies.

~ Another Jonathan Sommer's court case (representing Mr. John McDermott) which also came with false allegations about Mr. Joseph McLeod's integrity as a Norval Morrisseau expert: "Famed tenor drops suit alleging art dealer sold him fake Morrisseau paintings" by James Adams /Originally published on October 31st, 2014).
 
 
"NONE OF ALLEGATIONS FROM THE STATEMENTS OF CLAIM BY MR. KEVIN HEARN AND MR. McDERMOTT HAVE BEEN PROVEN IN COURT"


>>> REFERENCE POSTS (STRONGLY RECOMMENDED):
- CTV News provides platform to Mr. Ritchie Sinclair for his continuous malicious behaviour towards the Legacy of Norval Morrisseau (Part I), - CTV News provides platform to Mr. Ritchie Sinclair for his continuous malicious behaviour towards the Legacy of Norval Morrisseau (Part II)- Forensic Document Examination (Part I), - Signatures on Norval Morrisseau artworks certified by Forensic Science- 'A Fabulous Merry Christmas Greeting for Norval & All Canadians from Madam Justice Mary Anne Sanderson', - The Jonathan Sommer's appeal on behalf of the Plaintiff in Hatfield vs. Artworld of Sherway has failed on December 17th, 2013... (Part I)- The Jonathan Sommer's appeal on behalf of the Plaintiff in Hatfield vs. Artworld of Sherway has failed on December 17th, 2013... (Part II)The Jonathan Sommer's appeal on behalf of the Plaintiff in Hatfield vs. Artworld of Sherway has failed on December 17th, 2013... (Part III), - Downloadable Norval Morrisseau Forensic Reports (Part I), - Downloadable Norval Morrisseau Forensic Reports (Part II), - Downloadable Norval Morrisseau Forensic Reports (Part III), - Downloadable Norval Morrisseau Forensic Reports (Part IV), - Downloadable Norval Morrisseau Forensic Reports (Part V), - Morrisseau's artwork in Auction Houses, Commercial Art Galleries & Museums Around the World, - Genuine Morrisseau paintings: Appraised, Authenticated and Forensically Analyzed... /In regards to the Genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings signed by the artist with a dry brush (DB) technique/ - Experts in Norval Morrisseau's Art (Part I) /Ref.: Mr. Joseph McLeod/ - Norval Morrisseau authenticating his artworks /In regards to the Genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings signed by the artist with a dry brush (DB) technique/, - Endorsement by Thunder Bay Art Gallery of genuine Morrisseau paintings from 1970's /In regards to the Genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings signed by the artist with a dry brush (DB) technique/, - Authenticity Statement by Mr. Goyce Kakegamic /'In regards to Genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings acquired from Collections of Mr. Rolf Schneiders and Mr. Gary Lamont/, - Statutory Declaration by Mr. Robert Scott, /' Witnessing Norval Morrisseau signing the paintings with a dry brush (DB) technique'/, - Statutory Declaration by Mr. Deiter John Voss, /' Witnessing Norval Morrisseau signing the paintings with a dry brush (DB) technique'/ - Hatfield, Margaret Lorraine vs. Child, Donna and Artworld of Sherway (Part IV) & - Pivotal Court Case Relevant to Authenticity of Norval Morrisseau Artworks.

~ As per decision of the SUPREME COURT OF CANADA (December 22, 2009), journalists and other media, including bloggers, will be protected from lawsuits if they diligently try to verify information on matters that are in the public interest (click HERE for more information and/or check NORVAL MORRISSEAU BLOG's DISCLAIMER @ the bottom of this page ). ~