The proliferation of “Blatant fakes signed with Sousa's name . . .
outnumbering originals” is somewhat damningly inconceivable without
the smug collusion or connivance of the artist. In 1997, Souza
addressed a memo to the Director of Sakshi Art Gallery, alerting and
acrimoniously denouncing the promulgation of 'Souza fakes'. Was his
son, Patrick, also included in that circular? Patrick, allegedly
ran/runs an industrial size complex in Goa producing fake Souzas.
One can claim to have successfully unrung the bell if everyone in the
vicinity is stone deaf and confidingly blind. With fake art, it's the
resonance of one's legitimate money going tragically down the drain
while the dealer boards the getaway train. Souza, despite his
outlandish histrionics, boarded the train to eternity: Penniless and
ticketless! M.F. Hussein once remarked that if an artist does not
have fakes of his art circulating around, then he is not an artist.
I guess, I am not!
Souza, on the other hand, continues to retain his stellar status. And
so it is. You can concoct your own poison and succumb from it or
become the unwary martyr from someone else's venomous sting.
Dom Martin
