Jackson Square Painting

A fall from grace, a departure from its early days when the very best of merchants claimed this space as their own. Now it’s a place where the forgotten souls sleep on the ground. Where the steps are covered with sinister smiles making shady deals. Where you can buy groceries, and lunch, but you can’t see the sky. This place used to scare her but she walked through it every day on her commute. She learned she is just like the others, even though they’re wildly different from her. She blended into the background with her headphones, she got lost in the crowd, she was always on her own to anyone who was watching. Being able to disappear was a gift and a curse depending on the day. She never left her mark there. She never went back. She never needed to. The original self-portrait underpainting was originally 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.