A. Y. Jackson John Vanderpant / Library and Archives Canada / a195925
A crucial figure in the development of art in Canada, A.Y. Jackson helped shape Canada’s identity and culture throughout the 20th century. As a founding member of the Group of Seven, Jackson and his peers created a distinct style of Canadian art through direct contact with nature and portraying Canada’s natural landscape. On the week of Jackson’s 90th birthday in 1972, The Empire Club of Canada hosted a luncheon in his honor. Although Jackson was unable to attend, broadcaster and publicist John Fisher gave a speech to the Empire Club to speak on his contributions to the Canadian arts landscape and to Canadian culture more broadly.
“He taught Canadians to see the beauty of their own land,” Empire Club of Canada president Joseph H. Potts said when introducing Fisher. This claim likely would have made Jackson proud, as he and his Group of Seven primarily focused on the Canadian wilderness, specifically in Ontario, which broke away from many pre-established European traditions. The Group of Seven, consisting of Jackson, Franklin Carmichael, Lawren Harris, Frank Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald, and Frederick Varley, established a style that could be considered distinctly Canadian, and helped establish a proud national identity for a country that was still relatively young. “I think that we are all very thrilled at the way attitudes in this country have changed and now the support we are getting for the arts,” Fisher said. “You know how hard it’s been to get Canadians interested in their identity and heritage.”
Fisher spoke about how difficult it was for Jackson and the Group of Seven to get the recognition they deserved. Their breaking away from traditional European styles made it difficult to gain prestige in the wider artistic community. At the same time, the general lack of interest in the arts in Canada prevented them from gaining recognition within their own country, and made them relatively unknown during their active periods in the 1920’s and 30’s. “They portrayed the wilderness; and for a long time they cried in the wilderness and nobody paid any attention to them. And when they did pay attention they derided them. They were called idiots, ugly and about every opprobrious word that you can think of,” Fisher said.
Written by Silas Le Blanc. Silas Le Blanc is a Toronto based journalist, writer and content creator. She has previously worked at Xtra Magazine, The Varsity, The Review of Journalism and CJRU 1280 AM.
Luckily, by the time of Fisher’s speech, Jackson began to gain more recognition within his own country. “How the pendulum in this country has swung. You saw the Globe and Mail of yesterday, the day before, papers all across Canada. The face of A.Y. Jackson on our national television programs,” Fisher exclaimed. “I don’t know of a nation that neglected art for so long that’s gone so wholeheartedly in favour of one of its most competent and gifted artists. I think it’s great. It shows a new Canada.”
While Jackson was known for his portrayal of Canada’s natural beauty, his frustration with the lack of interest in the arts in Canada almost led him to move to the United States to find work. It took him 40 years to sell his first painting, and he thought of moving to Chicago for more opportunity. One night, while staying with a family in Emileville, Quebec, it rained just before the temperature dropped rapidly, turning the area into a “palace of ice and birchwoods.” Fisher describes the scene as a “fairyland.” Jackson rushed outside and painted one of his works, known as “Morning After Sleet.” As Fisher describes it, Jackson got so excited about Canadiana that he decided to stay in Emileville just long enough to receive a letter from fellow future Group of Seven member J.E.H. MacDonald. “Don’t you think it’s time we started turning our thoughts to our own country and started to be aware of our Canadian identity,” MacDonald wrote, which intrigued Jackson. He then travelled to Algonquin and Algoma, creating many of the works that he is known for today. “That to me is kind of the story of A. Y. Jackson,” Fisher said. “He was a builder. He was an interpreter who wasn’t scared to go into the tou
Morning After Sleet https://shorturl.at/6uC59
ghest places. He had no time for the soft life.” Jackson passed just two years after this speech, but his legacy lives on through his works. Beyond just his paintings, he helped Canada forge a sense of identity, and despite the lack of recognition he received in his early years, he persevered due to his love of Canada’s natural beauty, and showed a willingness to dedicate his work to portraying its wonders. “I can’t wish A.Y. Jackson a Happy Birthday because a birthday celebration connotes that you are going to give the celebrant a present and any gift that I could give him in words, in comparison to the gift that he has given Canada, would be so minuscule it would be ludicrous,” Fisher said in the conclusion of his speech.
Other speeches about Canadian Art:
Reminiscences of the Group of Seven Casson, A.J. October 14,
Two Views of Canadian Art Grier, Wyly; Jackson, A.Y. February 26, 1925
My Art and My Life Bateman, Robert November 13, 1986
Why Waste Money On Art Galleries Constable, W.G. November 3, 1938