Dominion

This new body of work (in progress) is titled “Dominion (the apprehension of beauty)”.
This is the fourth body of work in a continuing series titled “A Pale
Caress (deconstructing the landscape)”. The series investigates, through
photographic image (and in some bodies, text) issues revolving around ideas of
“The Land”. The first two bodies – “Intrusion” and “Occupation” – has as its’
locus, sites in northern and central B.C. The third “(Arrogation) …”
originates in northern Saskatchewan. What began (in those two earlier bodies)
as an investigation into more universal issues of colonization, displacement,
land use and ownership etc. continued in “(Arrogation) …”, but there, became a
more specific exploration of issues of transition, sense of place and personal relationship
to the land as well as the historical narratives engendered there.
Also some consideration is given to ideas of the political history of landscape
representation,

On the surface, this new work “(Dominion…)” considers the historical
ramifications of industrial and post-industrial development, (railroad, car
culture, tourism and commerce) on a particular landscape. At a deeper level
this body explores the representation of landscape and the history of the
complicity of art and the artist in the continuing colonization project of the
Canadian landscape. It also explores related ideas of the commodification of
nature.

This new body, so far consists of images gathered in the area around Banff and
Lake Louise. Though I had probably whizzed through the area via the Trans-
Canada dozens of times, I had never stopped at either site prior to a trip there
in 2001. With this first visit to the area I became acutely aware of the
irony inherent in the fact that the qualities that are used to draw people to
these sites are inexorably degraded by the very infrastructure needed to service
this influx. Subsequent visits have reinforced that impression. While the
trails within a 15 to 20 minute radius of down town are generally almost
deserted, the sidewalks and malls are thronged with a sea of humanity, shoppers
at a 21st century outpost in the heart of the “wilderness”.

The Canadian Pacific Railway was the first corporation to begin development in
the area and they bought into the long history of “business interests”
involvement in the co-option of artists in the Canadian colonizing (civilizing)
project. True to the form of early colonial business interests use of painters
in the east (Homer Watson, Robt. Harris and George Reed) and the Hudson Bay Co.
in the west (Paul Kane), the C.P.R. employed the Notman studios’ “picturesque”
painters, John Fraser and associates (Lucius O’Brian and Fredrick Verner) in
their earliest promotional attempts in the west. They later enlisted members of
the group of seven (Lawren Harris, J.E.H. MacDonald and Arthur Lismer) to paint
the iconic beauty of the Rockies in an attempt to lure potential tourists to
these sites. The project has undoubtedly been successful.

In the light of the pace and type of development witnessed there though, it is
hard to believe that the concept of the so-called “preservation/conservation”
ethic of a National Park system is being adhered to. It seems that the idea of
“Nature as site/idea/entity” as something that should be “apprehended”, i.e.
understood or at least perceived with intellect is disregarded. Now the reality
seems to be that of “apprehension” (as in earlier colonial times) as fear, or
now something that must be possessed, confined or owned.

The work consists of large colour photographic giclee prints of the iconic mountains in the
Banff/Lake Louise area, superimposed above smaller historical black and white,
“ideal” photographic images of the same mountains. These b&w photos were
produced by such early Banff photographers as Byron Harmon and were produced for
the tourist trade. The work is in the early stages and will include more images
and a video component among other things, possibly an instillation.
Ken Jeannotte 2007