Wilderness, Deese Bay 

"Wilderness, Deese Bay" is a landscape painted by A. Y. Jackson, a prominent member of the Group of Seven, a collective of Canadian landscape painters. Jackson and the Group of Seven sought to capture the rugged beauty of the Canadian wilderness, contributing to a growing sense of national identity in the early 20th century. Their work was part of a broader cultural project aimed at defining a unique Canadian aesthetic, distinct from European traditions. Yet, this narrative often overlooked the complex histories of Indigenous peoples who have long inhabited and stewarded these lands. As you look at the stark beauty of this landscape, consider the layers of history and representation embedded within it. Whose stories are told, and whose are left out? What does it mean to claim a wilderness as part of a national identity, and at what cost? This painting invites us to reflect on our relationship with the land and the stories we tell about ourselves in relation to it.