Creative

Spirit of the North: An Art Comparison of Algonquin Park Landscapes

December 18, 2020December 18, 2020 by Hayley Vlcek

The Canadian wilderness is masked to many of us by the bustling urban oases that dot the country’s great expanse. However, the natural world calls to many of us, beckoning with its mesmerizing landscapes — in its dynamic existence we can always find inspiration.

Gazing upon the northern wilderness of Ontario leaves one captivated. Natural phenomena will never cease to fill us with wonder; the awe-inspiring emotion remains immutable with respect to the passing of time. The story of the land and the emotions it elicits have been expressed by individuals throughout history, whether captured in broad brushstrokes of oil paints or with the lens of a modern camera.

In 2017, Algonquin Park staff celebrated the 100^th anniversary of Tom Thomson’s death. Tom Thomson was a Canadian artist who sought to capture the spirit of Northern Ontario in his artwork. As a park inhabitant during the early 20^th century, Thomson painted the natural world around him, imprinting the spirit of the northland on canvas.

Reflecting on my own time and work in Algonquin Park, I realized that much of my own photography mirrored similar landscapes and evoked, in myself, many of the same feelings and emotions as Thomson’s paintings. Where there were once saplings now stand trees, but the spirit and allure of nature endure.