Group of Seven Heritage Landscapes
Since 2008, we have been exploring northern Ontario in search of the places that the world-renowned Group of Seven artists immortalized in their paintings 100 years ago.This ongoing cultural anthropology research locates, identifies, and documents these painting sites. But even more astonishing than walking in their footsteps is our discovery that these landscape paintings actually depict real places that still exist today.
PAINTED LAND: In Search of The Group of Seven (sizzle reel) from WhitePinePictures on Vimeo.
Painted Land: In Search of the Group of Seven Trailer
The tangled wilderness of Algoma and Lake Superior’s expansive North Shore inspired Canada’s most famous artists – The Group of Seven. One hundred years later, their paintings retain a powerful hold on Canada’s visual imagination.
But where exactly were these iconic masterpieces created? The passage of time has erased the memory of where Lawren Harris, J.E.H. MacDonald, Arthur Lismer, Franklin Carmichael, A.Y. Jackson, A.J. Casson, and Franz Johnston captured these rugged landscapes.
Joanie McGuffin, Gary McGuffin and art historian Michael Burtch have spent years researching, canoeing, portaging and bushwhacking to find the vistas that inspired The Group of Seven.
Painted Land: In Search of the Group of Seven is an investigative arts film that is part mystery, part history and part adventure.
Director: Phyllis Ellis
A Co-Production of Solemn Land Productions, Sault Ste. Marie and White Pine Pictures, Toronto.
Developed in association with TVOntario, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, and documentary channel and with the assistance of the OMDC Film Fund.
To be produced in association with TVOntario, Crossroads Television System, documentary, Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, OMDC, Canadian Media Fund, Canadian Film and Television Tax Credit.
With the support of the NORDIK Institute, Algoma University, CN and the generous assistance of Tourism Ontario, The Master’s Gallery Ltd. and Gary Waxman.
Tom Thomson, Petawawa Gorges, 1916, Art Gallery of Ontario
F.H. Varley, Squally Weather Georgian Bay 1920, National Gallery of Canada
Lawren Harris, Silent Land, 1920, National Gallery of Canada
Lawren Harris, Coldwell Bay Lake Superior, 1923, National Gallery of Canada
Screen Dates
Painted Land: In Search of the Group of Seven
For all screening dates visit White Pine Pictures
PREVIOUS SCREENINGS VIFF Vancouver International Film Festival 2015 Algoma Fall Festival, Sault Ste. Marie, ON TVO Television Broadcasts Hamilton Art Gallery, Hamilton, ON Mayfair Theatre, Ottawa, ON Princess Cinemas, Waterloo, ON Bookshelf Cinema, Guelph, ON Princess Twin Theatre, Waterloo, ON Fundy Film Festival, Wolfville, NS The Screening Room, Kingston, ON Trinity College School, Port Hope, ON Collingwood Film Festival, Collingwood, ON Bookshelf Cinema, Guelph, ON Cinecenta, Victoria, BC Princess Cinemas, Waterloo, ON Women’s Art Association of Canada, Toronto, ON Salt Spring Film Festival, Salt Spring, BC Bishop Strachan School, Toronto, ON Cinematheque, Winnipeg, MB Arts & Letters Club, Toronto, ON Grand Theatre (NORDIK Institute), Sault Ste. Marie, ON Albion College, Albion, MI University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, MB International Women’s Association, Toronto, ON Flint Institute of Arts, Flint, MI Northern Landscapes Festival, Grand Marais, MN Oakville Festival of Film and Art, Oakville, ON Riverbrink Art Museum, Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Yellowknife, NWT Neys Provincial Park, Terrace Bay, ON Lake Superior State University, Sault Ste Marie, MI North Kawartha Public Library, Apsley, ON Vancity Theatre, Vancouver, BC The Royal, Toronto, ON CPAWS Ottawa Valley Fall Gala, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON Belfountain Heritage Society, Caledon, ON
Map of Group of Seven Heritage Landscapes
This map highlights the locations where the Group of Seven painted in their formative years a century ago. This geography and time frame defined the parameters of our research and our fieldwork with our partner, art historian, Michael Burtch. By canoe, on foot, via train we have travelled together across northern Ontario discovering the exact locations where these iconic landscape sketches and paintings were made. When we are there in the same season, same time of day with the same light and the same weather, Gary is able to capture on film images that quite closely match their landscape paintings. It is as if we are canoeing with A.Y.Jackson across the river, following Lawren Harris up a cliff, sitting next to J.E.H. MacDonald as he dabs autumn colour on a canvas. It’s a haunting, exciting phenomenal experience that grows ever more fascinating with each passing year.
