Book description
Alexander Young Jackson (1882-1974) is a name that instantly conjures
up images of our rugged northern landscape and the controversial Group
of Seven. This is the first-ever full-length biography of one of
Canada's most beloved characters, and the first to examine in one book
the artist, outdoorsman, soldier, teacher, debater, writer, and
outspoken defender of modern art.
Jackson spent nearly seventy years travelling Canada on a lifelong
quest to, rendering his impressions of its diverse character on canvas
and promoting a vibrant, uniquely Canadian style of painting. From
southern Alberta to Ellesmere Island, from Newfoundland to Northern
British Columbia, he covered more ground than any other artist --
scoffing at harsh weather and hostile criticism along the way.
A. Y. Jackson takes readers on a journey through Jackson's struggles
and triumphs, from his childhood in Victorian-era Montreal through his
final years as a living legend of Canadian art who thought nothing of
camping in a tent on Baffin Island at age 82.
Wayne Larsen is a landscape artist, newspaper editor, and
columnist who frequently lectures on A. Y. Jackson and the Group of
Seven at educational and cultural institutions. He is currently
editor-in-chief of the Westmount Examiner and part-time
professor of Journalism at Concordia University in Montreal.
