Introduction

   Sara West
   A. Y. Jackson
   David Paton

A. Y. Jackson (1882 - 1974)

Alexander Young Jackson is a well renowned Canadian artist, famous not only for his paintings of the rugged Canadian landscape but also for his part in the Canadian art movement of the early twentieth century. Born in Montreal in 1882, it wasn’t until 1907, after a trip to France to study impressionism, that Jackson decided to become a professional painter. When Jackson returned home to Canada he settled in Sweetsburg Quebec, the place where his best paintings were based.

Photo of A.Y. Jackson (external link)

From the beginning of his long career Jackson found the art situation in Canada extremely discouraging. The rough and jagged Canadian landscape was distinctly different from the tamer European countryside and was considered to be an unfit and impossible subject matter for painting. Most Canadians came from European or British descent and preferred the artistic styles of the their homeland, therefore the Canadian art culture was shaped by the artistic rules of European tradition.

"It's bad enough to live in this country," an old lady once told A.Y. Jackson, "without having pictures of it in your home."

Jackson grew increasingly frustrated as his artistic passion to reveal Canada to Canadians was discouraged throughout society and the Canadian art world. Painting in an era when "in Europe, tradition" was publicly acceptable people had little interest in truly Canadian artwork. Most Canadian artist travelled abroad to Europe or Britain where they studied the traditional European style of painting often termed "cow school", as a reflection of the common depiction of cows in the artwork.

Jackson soon discovered his role in the art world after being contacted by a Toronto based artist wanting to purchase one of his earlier designs. Through this new contact he came in touch with other artist like himself such as J.E.H. MacDonald, Lawren Harris, Arthur Lismer, Franklin Carmichael, F.H. Varley and Frank Johnston After confederation in 1867 a Canadian movement began as new found patriots re-evaluated Canadian science, religion, art and life itself. Jackson was one of the few painters who expressed this new nationalistic philosophy in his artwork. Unfortunately it was a slow movement and it wasn’t until after 1910 that Canadian art slowly began to break out and be taken seriously by the public and patrons of the art world alike.

Rather than professional painters it was Jackson and his loose association of companions that truly inspired the Canadian art movement. They traveled to different locations, usually vacations points, north of Toronto where they sketched the landscapes around them. This association of modern Canadian artist were unique in their passion to bring to life the Canadian landscape through their artwork.

In the 1920’s this distinctive collection of artist officially formed the Group of Seven. They were painters "bitten by the great north who, for the first time, took on the task of painting the great power, scenery and spirit of their land."

Jackson joined the army during the first world war but was quickly wounded in battle, and although he failed to take part in much of the hand to hand combat he later worked for the Canadian War Memorials. He also spent the year of 1925 teaching at the Ontario College of Art In Toronto.

Jackson travelled the nation in an effort to capture the beauty of the varied landscapes of this vast country. He came west to the Kootenay region during his travels in 1947 when he spent a brief period in Fernie. While he was here he sketched these two pictures of the town.

Sketch of Fernie & Mt. Hosmer - September 1947 (link to National Gallery of Canada)

Sketch of a House in Fernie - 1947 (link to National Gallery of Canada)

Alexander Y. Jackson died in 1974 at the age of 92.

Sara West		David Paton