Additional Images

Provenance:

Roberts Gallery Limited, Toronto
Private Collection, Maple, Ontario

Note:

As a professional and successful graphic designer, the youngest member of the Group of Seven, A.J. Casson (1898-1992) understood the basic principles of design: simplification, rejection of unnecessary details, colour harmony, and carefully balanced arrangement of form, all of which can be clearly observed in Woodlot—12 Mile Lake, Haliburton.

One should take particular note of his compositional skills in this painting. The shape of trees, inspired by Art Nouveau, are nearly flat, yet elegant, their clearly delineated curved shapes set against a neutral and unobtrusive background. Through colour contrasts, verticals pop and invite the eye to flit from one to another lending the composition a strong dynamic quality, the tapestry of tree tops is balanced by the arrangement of neat woodpiles below, each set at an interestingly dynamic angle.

Even without visible human presence, there is a clear indication of logging activity and the clearing of trees. Nevertheless, Casson seems to be more interested in the result of this orderly harvest for its compositional virtues rather than taking a position on logging and its impact on the landscape of 12 Mile Lake.