Exactly 90 years ago, some of Canada鈥檚 best artists struck off into Jasper鈥檚 harsh wilderness, determined to document its beauty.
That same year marked the opening of the Art Gallery of Alberta, and in celebration of that anniversary, the gallery is showcasing a pair of exhibits that follow those artists鈥� journeys.
The exhibits, 鈥淟awren Harris and A.Y. Jackson: Jasper/Robson, 1924,鈥� and 鈥淗igh Adventure: Byron Harmon on the Columbia Icefield鈥�, both celebrate the year 1924, when Byron, a renowned Banff photographer, and Jackson and Harris, famed Group of Seven painters, undertook harrowing expeditions into Jasper鈥檚 backcountry.
Lisa Christensen curated the Harris and Jackson exhibit. She explained that the story of the men鈥檚 journey through the Maligne Valley is a fascinating one.
With the Group of Seven 鈥渞ocking the system鈥� across the country, Harris and Jackson went 鈥渋ncognito鈥� into Maligne Canyon, and canoed down the length of Maligne Lake. From there they explored the mountains and back woods, and were floored by the natural beauty that surrounded them.
The same year Jackson and Harris hoofed through the Jasper wilderness, another artist trudged across the Columbia Icefields. Photographer Byron Harmon, accompanied by National Geographic writer Lewis Freeman, 16 horses, five large cameras, several dogs, a cage of carrier pigeons and a guide named Soapy Smith, set out to photograph the Columbia Icefields.
The team battled rough weather, food shortages and the creeping autumn chill, and captured what exhibit co-curator Mary-Beth Laviolette said are some of the first professional photographs from the region.
Laviolette said her exhibit (which she co-curated with Ruth Burns) will be 鈥渢he first time the story of [Harris鈥橾 expedition has been told through the photographs Harmon took.鈥�
鈥淭here are some pretty spectacular pictures,鈥� she said.
The exhibit features everything from stereoscopic images, to digitally enlarged photographs to a short film, and the intention is to take visitors along the journey Harmon took. The media is paired with quotes from Lewis鈥� writing, and Laviolette said that pairing provides engaging insight into the trip.
鈥淚t really gives you a picture of what travel was like during those days鈥攁nd in a way it also marked the end of that type of travel,鈥� she said.
Christensen said one of her main goals when putting together her exhibit was 鈥済etting people to go out to mountains and actually go out to the places where Harris and Jackson worked.鈥�
That 鈥渢rail guide approach鈥� means the exhibit contains information about how to physically go to the places the artists visited, and possibly 鈥渟tand there and experience what Harris and Jackson might have experienced.鈥�
She said that 鈥渢here鈥檚 some really beautiful passages in their letters and journals鈥� about what it was like above the tree line, or canoeing across Maligne Lake.
In those passages, Christensen said you can glimpse 鈥渢he joyous appreciation of the newness鈥� the two men felt in the mountains. Harris especially felt this, and worked hard to convey that in his art.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 just about communicating the beauty of what he saw, but about communicating the impact of it on his soul,鈥� Christensen said.
Both exhibits opened March 29 at the Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton, and will run until Aug. 17. For Jasperites who get to gaze at the mountains every day of their lives, seeing some of the earliest artwork inspired by them should be a treat.
鈥淧eople living in the Jasper area will no doubt find it incredibly interesting,鈥� Laviolette said.
聽Trevor Nichols
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