Carcross, 1977

Private Collection, Alberta

Stan McNeill, “The Yukon Territory is Painter's Shangri-La”, “The Hamilton Spectator”, October 18, 1980, page 88

Ted Harrison recalled that it was an advertisement in a United Kingdom newspaper which first brought the artist to Canada's north, filling a teaching position on the Alberta Indian reservation of Wabasca. Disappointed by the relative flatness of the surrounding landscape, Harrison jumped at the chance to fill another position in Carcross, a village south of Whitehorse. The painter immediately accepted the position upon confirmation that Carcross was surrounded by mountains, leaving questions regarding his salary as secondary. The Yukon landscape inspired and challenged Harrison: “Never before had I attempted to paint a landscape so gigantic in scale, whose colors dictated to me not only what I should paint but also on what terms I should paint them.” The artist laid aside the formal artistic training he had received as an academic painter in the old tradition and concentrated on “simplifying his work and creating a personal style.” In a letter to the original owners of this artwork, Harrison describes the subject matter: “Your painting depicts my favourite village of Carcross in an evening setting. Bennett Lake is behind and the Caribou Hotel occupies the central position. The villagers are packing water, running around and each is occupied with their own business. The purple moon hangs low in the sky and the mountains are silhouetted against the evening sky. This is the time of day which I always loved in Carcross. It is the subtle moment in time when day is fading and the evening has not yet arrived. The world surrounding the village is hushed and still whilst the villagers prepare to move into their homes for the evening.” A photocopy of the March 1977 letter from Ted Harrison to the original owners of “Carcross” is included with this lot.