Gatineau Park: An Intimate Portrait

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian studies at
Concordia University, Japan Foundation Fellow 1991-92, and the author of
Margaret Laurence: The Long Journey Home and As Though Life Mattered:
Leo Kennedy’s Story.

Any great photographer shares with us not only the work of his lens but
the fruit of his spirit. We learn to see differently. In his preface,
David Andrews writes of the sense of wonder and the joy of discovery he
experienced in creating these images found so close to his own backyard.

Gatineau Park has a substantial text, unlike many books of art
photography. Andrews provides two essays, one on the natural or
geological features of the Park and one on its history, from the
aboriginal peoples to current struggles for conservation. His style is
clear and companionable, lit throughout by his feeling for nature. This
section includes many archival photographs that give a strong sense of
place and time.

Unlike Ottawa photographer Malak in his competing book The Gatineau,
Andrews prefers close-ups: “Canada anemone, blue flag iris and
mosquito”; “Cecreopia moth larva on glossy buckthorn beside Pink
Lake”; a single leaf against rock; leaves caught in hoarfrost;
“Sunlight reflecting off the surface of a stream.” Some of these
images resemble abstract art. All have a brilliance of color and a
purity of light that suggest a world uncontaminated by humans. This
beautiful large-format book is enhanced by striking wildlife paintings
by wilderness artist Brenda Carter.

Andrews admits to having a strong emotional attachment to these hills,
and a sense of belonging. In addition to being a superb photographer, he
is a wilderness guide and a passionate wilderness explorer. Gatineau
Park is a heritage book and a call for responsible preservation.