www.NorvalMorrisseauLawsuit.com (Part VII)

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Otavnik Vs Vadas SC 07-51428-00
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© 1969 Norval Morrisseau
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I have collected native art all my life, as my father was a collector who planted the seed. I first became aware of Norval Morrisseau around the early 80’s, when I was introduced to him at a home of a friend in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He was staying with him and used a large room in the house to paint in. This is where I had a chance to see him at work for the first time. It was shortly after this that he went to Kenora to sell some of his works to a large fishing resort on Lake of the Woods and wound up in jail. After that episode I began to collect his paintings.
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A lot of my friends and work associates lived on and worked in or around native reserves, so this gave me access to large volumes of artwork at little expense. These pieces were mostly lesser known artists, but the odd piece would show up by by Carl Ray, Roy Thomas, Lloyd Kakepetum, and even Morrisseau. This was always a nice surprise as I would pay the same for each piece no matter who was the artist. I found myself with hundreds of paintings by such a large array of artists that I decided to begin to trade them with other collectors. I used to joke that it reminded me of trading baseball cards when I was younger.
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By the mid 90s, I owned some five hundred pieces by more well known artists, including Morrisseau.
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With a falling business and a newborn child, I decided to sell off my collection. I contacted literally every auction house In Canada testing the market. Finally when I realized there were no real market other than galleries which in my opinion would take forever. I settled with doing business with a few auction houses in Southern Ontario because I have paid little and in some cases no money for the artwork my expectations were not market value but to break even or just better.
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I know a lot of collectors, dealers, owners and in some cases artists in Northern Ontario Region and at no point in doing any sort of business with these people have I met anyone who tried to muscle their way into my business. It wasn't until I ventured into the Toronto world that I had this happen to me.
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Donald Robinson* has sold over fifty paintings that once belonged to me. He did not sell them for me but for other collectors whom I did business with. He took 25 to 30 per cent for the resale of these pieces and I was told they sold for seven to eight thousand each. Not wanting to cause any animosity between these collectors and myself I did not contact Mr. Robinson to utilize as an outlet for sale. The collectors friendships are more important to me than selling some art so I sent to Randy Potter paintings by mostly Norval Morrisseau to sell them at auction. It was shortly after this that I had my first contact with Mr. Robinson. He told me to leave the auction house and to do business with only him and he could make me more money. Normally I would have taken his offer but it was the way he said it, more like a threat than an offer. I told him I wanted nothing to do with him and that in the future it would be better not to use threats to begin a business relationship. He has tried several times since then to contact me. The paintings are real and the tactics he used are low down if not dirty. A collector friend of mine has been sending pictures to Norval Morrisseau and getting them authenticated, these were once in my collection.
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The Globe and Mail article on Morrisseau with painting “Battle for Life” on the front page was a part of my collection. The painting in the Prime Minister’s office was part of it as well. I am sure you get the point.
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I am frustrated to say the least, that people like Donald Robinson have such control over the market that he does what he wants and does not care who he hurts or what damage he does. Someone should remind him if it wasn’t for the small collectors he wouldn't exist.
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Sincerely,
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Signed on October 29th, 2001
/DAVID VOSS/
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Source: www.NorvalMorrisseauLawsuit.com
----------/Additional Filings by the Plaintiff/
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* - one of the founders of the Kinsman Robinson Galleries /Principal Morrisseau dealer - Representing Norval Morrisseau (1932-2007) and his artwork over the last nineteen years./
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- The paintings in this posting: "Untitled", 55"x19" ea., © 1969 Norval Morrisseau