City Hall Painting

A place where confidence and hope is created in one minute and then shattered in the next. Where conflicting views are brought to light, but only in the black and white, no room for grey. Concrete, block, stone, metal - the rugged surfaces that support a space where fresh new ideas are presented with conviction and so easily damaged, challenged, broken, shattered, vandalized, painted over, silenced. A blue collar town that is misrepresented by the wrong shade of blue. Where there’s red tape and threats of spilled blood instead of open minds and captive ears. Where the name of the city shines bright in every colour of the rainbow for the sake of instagram photos and tourist pics. The original self-portrait underpainting was completed in 2021 ----- The I Used To Hate This City collection embodies a celebration of self-empowerment, rage, persistence, triumph, perspective and resilience. It explores the evolution of the artist’s relationship with the City of Hamilton over the course of the past year as it shifted from Love, to Hate, back to Love again. These themes coincide with what the artist has experienced on her personal journey but also touch upon her observations of the City during recent times of gentrification, isolation and political change. The paintings in this collection began as self-portraits that have since been covered with layers of paint, spray paint, coffee, and gold leaf to form abstracted depictions of Hamilton landmarks that are reminiscent of the new memories the artist has created in familiar places. The idea that the artist's previous and new-found sense of identity is strongly tied to various landmarks for the worse or the better is a relevant aspect of this collection and a reminder that while our environment may feel static and permanent, our minds and hearts are in a constant state of change and growth.