24 planet of the arts / october 1997

CULTURAL DIALECTICS

civilize and convert ‘savage’ people. The moral right
to claim and dominate the ‘new land received sup-
port from the view that the ‘new world’ was unpop-
ulated and unclaimed. Although the indigenous
people clearly were a presence on the land, the
European view of indigenous people as ‘savages’ and
as ‘other’ allowed Europeans to conflate them with
nature and the landscape. Equating indigenous peo-
ple with the landscape and representing them as
being part of the landscape rendered them invisible
as nations and cultures. This patriarchal view of the
land continues to shape our relation to indigenous
people but also to the land itself through the divi-
sion of land into units of private property and the
legitimization of the unbounded exploitation of
natural resources.

One of the most striking examples of the power
of the colonizing gaze is the success of the Group of
Seven in the creation of a Canadian identity based
on images of a wild, pristine north. The project of
creating a Canadian identity paralleled the rhetoric
of nation building of nineteenth-century Canadian
governments. The Group of Seven saw themselves
as pioneers, explorers of the wilderness through the
painted image. Exploring nature and uncovering

her secrets was a quintessentially masculine activity.

Tom Thomson (1877-1917)
"The Jack Pine", 1916-1917
Oil on canvas, 128 x 140 cm

wild and
pulsating with

The wilderness,
untamed,
colour, was available to the
lonely hero who braved the
trials of the body to find
union with nature
This

view of a limitless nature was

in the

wilderness. romantic

the underpinning of the myth
of an inexhaustible nature.
Their work sought to express
a Canadian identity through a
particular experience of
nature.

The Group’s work was
popularized and made avail-
able by silk screen reproduc-
tions whose wide circulation
this

Canadian colonizing gaze to

allowed particular

become a sign for Canada.
Our notion of identity continues to be deeply
entwined with images of the lonely northern
wilderness and is now perpetuated by Canadian
political and cultural institutions. This colonizing
vision continues to exert a profound influence both
in social and aesthetic discourses concerning the
land and on current art practices.

The colonizing gaze operates not only to possess
and to tame, but also permits the exploitation of the
land and its commodification. The socio-economic
demands of British Columbia require the produc-
tion of landscapes which uphold the myth of a pris-
tine, untouched nature in order that the tourism
industry which depends on this view of nature can
continue to flourish. The parks movement has his-
torically been linked with the exploitation of
resources where nature is offered up as a commod-
ity and as a source of recreation. In the 1880's
William Van Horne, manager of the CPR offered
artists free rail passes to travel west to paint the
mountains and scenery. Van Horne hoped that
these the paintings would lure both tourists and set-
tlers to the, west, and thereby increase revenues of
the CPR through both through tourism and land
sales. “If we can’t export the scenery, we'll import

the tourists,”* he wrote, articulating the nature of

COURTESY NANCY BLECK

the relationship between capitalism and the land-
scape. It is also important to note that the Canadian
government created Banff National Park as an
agreed upon part of the development portfolio of
the CPR.

Historically, then, scenery has been a commodi-
ty, a tool with which to “sell” Canada. The tourism
industry has burgeoned in the twentieth century
and the demand for parks which ‘preserve’ nature
and provide access to the wilderness continues to
increase. As Alexander Wilson argues in The Culture
of Nature, tourism has reorganized the geography of
North America as well as our perceptions of nature
and our place in it. We now see nature as a recre-
ational resource rather than as our home.

Nature tourism~has catalogued the natural
world and differentiates our experiences of the nat-
ural world into separate and discrete activities,
making it more difficult to experience nature as a
whole. We visit nature rather than inhabit it. Nature
is organized into scenic routes, which organize our
experience with the result that nature appears to
produce itself with no apparent relation to the cul-
tures that inhabit it. Nature is transformed into rec-
ognizable objects and familiar landscapes, and
experiencing nature becomes a cultural activity of
mass consumption. Nature now must live up to
expectations formed by painted and photographed
images, images which valorize scenic places and cre-
ate an ever-increasing demand for the scenic and
spectacular.

The colonizing gaze took in the vastness of the
‘new land and claimed it for its own. This gaze took

a dominating stance overlooking the land, often
from a prospect, and so possessed what it surveyed.
All this was done within the political mandate of
claiming the land for the British Empire and, later,
of forging a Canadian identity. The gaze, which in
the nineteenth century represented the ‘new land in
the conventions of the picturesque and the sublime,
in the twentieth century saw it as the rugged but
beautiful and lonely paradise of the north.
Although Canadian painting went on to develop a
distinct identity, in large measure through the
efforts of the Group of Seven, what remained con-
stant was the subtext of colonizing the land, of
imposing an order that coincided with the ambi-
tions of the dominant political order, including the
institutions of private property and capitalist

order. ©!

Ilze Bebris is a 1997 Emily Carr Institute graduate
of the School of Visual Arts and continues to explore
the themes of this paper in her current art practice.
This article is an abridged version of a larger research

paper.

Notes

"Ann Bermingham, Landscape and Ideology: The English
Rustic Tradition 1740-1860. (Berkeley: University of
California Press, 1986) p 9.

2 Geoff Miles, “Topoi”, Provincial Essays (Toronto: Coach
House Press, 1989) p 16.

: Bermingham, p 11.

4 John O'Brian, Capitalizing the Scenery: Landscape, Leisure
and Tourism in B.C., 1880s-1950s. (Vancouver: University of
B.C., 1994). Exhibition catalogue introduction.

White Spot Restaurant
promotional material

24 plonet of the arts / october 1997

CULTURAL DIALECTICS

ivlze and convert ‘savage’ people, The moral right

to cam

1nd dominate the ‘new and received sup
ort from the view thatthe new world was unpop
‘lated and unclaimed, Although the indigenous
people clearly were a presence on the land, the
European view of indigenous peopleas savages and
2 ‘ther allowed Europeans to conflate them with
nature and the landscape. Equating indigenous po-
ple with the landscape and representing them as
being part ofthe landscape rendered them invisible
as nations and cultres. This patriarchal view ofthe
land continues to shape our relation to indigenous
people but alo tothe and itself through the divi
sion of land into units of private property and the
legtimization of the unbounded exploitation of
natural resources.

‘One ofthe most striking examples ofthe power
ofthe colonizing gaze isthe succes ofthe Group of
based
‘on images of a wil, pristine north, The project of
creating a Canadian identity paralleled the rhetoric

of nation building of ninetenth-century Canadian

Seven inthe creation of Canadian id

governments, The Group of Seven saw themsches

as planers, explorers of the wilderness
printed image. Exploring nature and uncovering
her screts was a quintessentially masculine activity

ough the

The wilderness, wild. and
pulsating, with
colour, was available to the
lonely hero who braved the
trials of the body to find

untamed,

union with nature in the
wilderness. This romantic
view of iiss nature was
the underpinning ofthe myth
fof an inexhaustible nature
Their work sought to express
a Canadian identity through a
particular experience of

The Group's work was
popularized and made avail
able by sik screen reproduc
tions whose wide circulation
allowed — this particu
dian colonizing gaze to

become a sign for Canada
‘Our notion of identity continues to be deeply
‘entwined with images of the lonely northern
wilderness and is now perpetuated by Canadian
political and cultural institutions. This colonizing
vision continues to exert a profound influence both
in socal and aesthetic discourses concerning the
land and on curtent art practices

The colonizing gaze operates not only to posess
and to tame, but also permis the exploitation of the
land and its commodification. The socio-economic

demands of British Columbia require the produc:
tion of landscapes which uphold the myth of pris
tine, untouched nature in order thatthe tourism
industry which depends on this view of nature can
‘continue to flourish. The parks movement has his
torically been linked with the exploitation of
resources where nature i offered up as a commad
ity and as a source of recreation. Inthe 1880's
Wiliam Van Horne, manager of the CPR offered
artists fe rail pases to travel west to paint the
mountains and scenery. Van Horne hoped that
these the paintings would lure both tourist and set.
Ars tothe west, and thereby increase revenues of
the

PR through both through tourism and land
If we cant export the scenery, well import
the tourists” he wrote, articulating the nature of

‘the relationship between capitalism and the land-
‘cape. It isaso important o note thatthe Canadian
government ceated Banff National Park as an
agreed upon part ofthe development portfolio of
the CPR,

Historically, then, senery has been a commod:
'y.a too with which to “sel” Canada, The tourism
industry has burgeoned in the twentieth cent
and the demand for parks which ‘preserve’ nature
and provide aces to the wilderness continues 19
inerease As Alerander Wilson argues in The Culture
of Natur, tourism has reorganized the geography of
North America as wells our perceptions of nature
and our place init, We now see nature as a rect
tional resource rather than as our home

[Nature tourism-has catalogued the natural
world and differentiates our experiences ofthe nat
ural world into separate and discrete activities,
raking it more dificult to experience nature 363
whol. We vst nature ater than inhabit it. Nature
is organized into seni routes, which organize our
experience withthe result that ature appears 10

self with no apparent elation to the cul

tures that inhabit Nature is transformed into rc
‘ognizable objects and familiar landscapes, and
‘experiencing nature becomes a cultura activity of
‘mass consumption. Nature now must live up to
‘expectations formed by painted and photographed

images images which valorize seni places a

prod

ate an ever-increasing demand for

spectacular.
The colonizing gaze tok inthe vasnes of the
‘ne’ land and aimed it fo its oven This gaze took

dominating stance overlooking the land, often
fiom a prospect and so posesed what it surveyed
All this was done within the politcal mandate of
‘laiming the lan for the Bish Expire an, ltr,

of forging a Canadian identity. The gaze, which in

the nineteenth century represented the'new land in
‘the conventions of the picturesque andthe sublime,
Jn the twentieth century saw it asthe rugged but
beautiful and lonely paradise of the north
Although Canadian painting went on to develop 3
Aistnct identity, in large measure through the
«fflorts ofthe Group of Seven, what remand con
stant was the subtext of colonizing the land, of

that coincided with the ambi

imposing an or
tions ofthe dominant political order, including the

institutions of private property and capitalist

order. 61

ze Bebris is a 1997 Emily Care Insitute graduate
ofthe School of Visual Arts and continues o explore

the themes

sper inher current art practice

This atc san abridged version ofa larger research
paper

lanteape ante The Engh
Geof Miles, “Topo Provincial Eaays (Trot: Coach
“jet ian Caplig te Sey: Land, ie

White Spr Restaurant
‘promotional material