signed lower right; signed, titled and dated 1982 on the reverse
20 × 24 in (50.8 × 61.0 cm)
Auction Estimate:$12,000 - $15,000
Sale date:May 31, 2016
Price Realized
$14,950
(including Buyer's Premium)
Provenance
Private Collection, Ottawa
Literature
Robert Budd, Introduction to “Ted Harrison Collected”, Madeira Park, British Columbia, 2015, page 10
Discussing the individuals who populate his northern scenes, Ted Harrison explained to Robert Budd that his work is “about children, dogs and birds!” Commonly encountered in the Yukon, the raven is routinely found within Harrison's work. The painter shares that “ravens are very meaningful to the Yukon. They are a friendly bird to me. They like people. They represent the Yukon.” As the raven and dog playfully move across this composition, the child in green begins to pursue the pair while his mother and sibling stroll behind. The individuals are dwarfed by their surroundings as layer upon layer of land and sea move towards the rolling horizon, falling below a joyful dance of a sky. Even the deserted building is presented in a soft mauve, its dilapidated state exposing the hot reds in the land behind, creating a sense of wonder and calm, rather than intimidation.
