signed and dated 1976 lower right; signed, titled and dated on the reverse
20 × 16 in (50.8 × 40.6 cm)
Auction Estimate:$7,000 - $9,000
Sale date:November 19, 2019
Price Realized
$10,620
(including Buyer's Premium)
Provenance
Private Collection, Toronto
Literature
Robert Budd, Introduction to Ted Harrison Collected, Madeira Park, British Columbia, 2015, pages 5-7
Stan McNeill, “The Yukon Territory is Painter’s Shangri-La”, The Hamilton Spectator, October 18, 1980, page 88
The Yukon landscape inspired and challenged Ted Harrison: “Never before had I attempted to paint a landscape so gigantic in scale, whose colours 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 and concentrated on “simplifying his work and creating a personal style.” The artist would create a new language to portray his surroundings, illustrating the vibrancy and rhythm he experienced through flowing, energetic lines and a full spectrum of lively colours, providing scenes brimming with life, activity and spirituality.
According to the artist’s family, Ted Harrison took several trips to Atlin and the stunning locale (once called the “Switzerland of the North”) inspired some of the key work from the painter’s career. Atlin is located about an hour and a half from the Harrison family cabin at Crag Lake, which is now home to the Ted Harrison Residency Program, which is “intended to provide visual artists an opportunity to concentrate on the research, development and production of a project or body of work in a remote and inspirational setting.” Further details of the program can be found at www.tedharrisoncabin.com and we extend our thanks to the Harrison family for providing further details of the region of Atlin and the impact which it had on the life and work of Ted Harrison.
