‘Tis the season to visit these five Instagram-worthy murals in Hamilton.
As we enter early December, winter is beginning to loom over us. This means the sun sets earlier, signifying the end of daylight-saving hours and our days are bleaker with dropping temperatures. Visiting these murals around Hamilton could be a way to brighten your day with their vibrant and unique art styles and interesting backstories as well as an excellent opportunity to explore Hamilton.
Charlton Avenue
This colourful mural featuring a girl with a squirrel, raccoon and bird was designed by Robyn Lightwalker and painted by Natasha Rose, Anthony Haley and Felipe Encina over a four-day period. Lightwalker attempted to portray a version of how humans and animals could be living in harmony in an urban environment.
Durand Coffee building
This mural was painted by Tyler Van Holst. He recently repainted this over his previous “Greetings Hamilton” mural, which has been weathered over the past several years. This new mural, featuring dogs and a cat, tie in more to the idea of what makes this neighbourhood a great place to live in and they hope that the mural will put a smile on everyone’s face.
Concession Street
This mural was painted by Kyle Joedicke, a local Haudenosaunee artist who primarily focuses on Indigenous art, specifically Woodland-style art. This mural portrays the teachings of the seven grandfathers: respect, symbolized by a buffalo; truth, symbolized by a turtle; love, symbolized by a bald eagle; wisdom, symbolized by a beaver; courage, symbolized by a bear; humility, symbolized by a wolf; and honesty, symbolized by a sabe. Through his art, he wants to promote a strong sense of community and share his culture.
John Street
This mural, created by local street artist Scott McDonald, is designated for Hamilton Tiger-Cat fans who adore Angelo Mosca like him. McDonald grew up watching every game with his parents and wanted to use one of his favourite childhood memories to represent an iconic Hamilton figure. He is a former graffiti artist who now creates mesmerizing murals.
West Avenue South
This mural “Raise” was painted by a local brother duo, Norman and Lester Coloma, to represent an ambitious city. It illustrates men and women attempting to raise a giant hammer with the help of red ropes against a white background. In the piece, the hammer represents the city and Hamiltonians are working together to lift Hamilton, suggesting the city’s optimistic future.
Overall, these murals are worth a visit and provide you a chance to explore Hamilton and its hidden artistic side. You will find local talent you may not have come across before. Studies have shown that immersing yourself in art will improve your overall mood and mental well-being. Immersing yourself in art is a great way to uplift your mood in the middle of the winter through Hamilton’s signature, bright art style.
C/O Yoohyun Park
Technology is taking over creative fields and classic media is fading
Newspapers are known as digital subscriptions, books are known as Kindles and art is all about graphic design and digital forums now. Instead of flipping a page, we swipe a screen. Instead of a flick of a brush or the drag of a pen, we are tapping and swiping.
Everything is digital now and it does not sit well with me, especially as an english and communications major. I love the smell of a new book, the way your fingers slowly turn black due to the ink from flipping through the articles of the day and the excess paint left under your fingernails once finished painting.
I love the smell of a new book, the way your fingers slowly turn black due to the ink from flipping through the articles of the day and the excess paint left under your fingernails once finished painting.
Although the digital world makes it a little easier when compared to the preparation of physical crafts such as lugging around materials, I still love the process of it all.
And do not get me wrong, I am not undermining the energy and time it takes to write an article, book or create a drawing virtually. It just feels as though we have lost the true purpose of the craft.
Obviously, things are destined to evolve and change, but to have these artistic expressions shift completely to another realm tends make certain pieces lose their meaning.
Being a child of early generation Z, I still had the opportunity to live a childhood that wasn’t ruled by technology. I never have a phone and my only source of technology was my television.
All I knew was how to use my creativity to do something or make something. Despite the freedom from technology in my early years, I’m still annoyed at the fact that we as a society were introduced to iPhones and iPads when I was in middle school.
Despite that experience, I cannot even fathom being a young child with an iPhone or using Instagram so young. Even in my classes growing up, I had already started noticing the impact media had on our generation specifically.
Presentations started turning into slideshows, photography became incorporated in art class and even music class came with a focus on creating and editing music videos.
Don’t get me wrong, all of these new technologies have led to immense progress. Just look at the innovations in fields such as diagnostic radiology. But I still miss the craft.
I miss the rawness. I miss picking up the thick rolled-up newspaper on my driveway. I miss the excitement that came with writing. I miss looking at a painting and hearing the stories behind them and studying the brush strokes.
I say I miss it as if it is non-existent anymore and even though I know it isn’t, I feel it slowly fading. Who knows? Maybe physical books won’t be a thing soon, maybe paintings won’t either and Google and Photoshop will be the only avenues to follow. Perhaps it is only a matter of time before we live in an entirely digital world.
Hamilton-based artist Bhairavi Jathar shares thoughts on painting, productivity and the pandemic
C/O Bhairavi Jathar
Bhairavi Jathar is a Hamilton-based artist with a passion for painting. Inspired by the impressionists who painted outdoors, Jathar particularly partakes in plein air painting. She has participated in live art shows across Ontario and her art was recently displayed in the Hamilton Artists Inc.’s window activation series.
Jathar grew up in Pune, India and first learned the basics of drawing and painting from her mother, who is also an artist. She went on to study commercial art and advertising and worked for many years as a graphic designer and illustrator.
“While [completing my studies], I realized that my passion for painting was still there. So I continued painting outdoors and I was always surrounded by great teachers, artists, friends and colleagues . . . so I also learned from them and that's how my painting career started,” explained Jathar.
"While [completing my studies], I realized that my passion for painting was still there. So I continued painting outdoors and I was always surrounded by great teachers, artists, friends and colleagues . . . so I also learned from them and that's how my painting career started."
Bhairavi Jathar
She also travelled with her husband as part of his job and during these travels, she had the opportunity to study French art. Jathar has always loved painting outside and it was also during these travels she had the chance to try plein air paintings. Later she pursued a master of art to get more insight about Indian and western art.
Jathar immigrated to Canada in 2014 and continued to work as a graphic designer for a few years. Then in 2017, she decided to become a full-time artist. During these years, she began volunteering at an art centre that hosted live painting events.
These events are often paired with an auction, so as the artists are painting in front of their audience, the audience is also bidding on the paintings being created.
“These events are very, very interactive because you get to talk to your audience and they can give you feedback because they see you painting and it gives you motivation,” explained Jathar.
"These events are very, very interactive because you get to talk to your audience and they can give you feedback because they see you painting and it gives you motivation."
Bhairavi Jathar
Jathar began participating in these shows at the art centre but went on to participate in others across Ontario. In recent years, she has successfully participated in, juried and curated exhibitions in art galleries in Brantford, Brampton, Hamilton, Mississauga, Paris, St. Catharines and Toronto.
Unfortunately, the pandemic not only shuttered many galleries but also put many of the live events Jathar enjoyed on hold indefinitely. Despite these setbacks, Jathar noted the last year has been her most productive.
Over the last few months, she has been working on a series of paintings depicting important heritage buildings in Hamilton and some of the surrounding towns in Ontario.
“Every city has one building which is prominent there and that city is known by that [building’s] old architecture and so those things are also captured in my paintings . . . every painting is from a different city, in different seasons. So even though it's the same spot, in every season, it looks different,” Jathar explained.
Jathar hopes her art brings people some joy but more broadly she hopes that whatever the scene may be, people are able to connect to it and see something of themselves in her art.
Jathar hopes her art brings people some joy but more broadly she hopes that whatever the scene may be, people are able to connect to it and see something of themselves in her art.
Moving forward she hopes to do a series of more conceptual art around the themes of immigration and balancing different cultures.
“As an immigrant, how do I feel and how my culture is still here . . . and because my kids are growing up here, I always feel that I need to adjust with some things, which I never faced earlier. I grew up in a different atmosphere and my kids are growing [up] in a different atmosphere, so I always try to balance those things. That’s what I want to show [in this series],” explained Jathar.
Jathar has also been offering virtual art lessons for children and adults over the last few months and offered some words of encouragement for students.
“I would [tell them] keep doing what they want to do and don't get distracted with what others are doing. You keep doing your work, your art, because sometimes what happens is we see others are doing something different and sometimes we feel that maybe we are the odd one out, but don't think that way. You keep doing whatever you're doing,” Jathar said.
Brittany Aiello discusses how she finds comfort and stress relief through her hand-painted plant pot business
During the stress and isolation of lockdown, people have returned to pastimes such as art, dancing and writing. However, one of the most popular trends is planting. There is something therapeutic about nurturing plants that has convinced many people to rekindle their garden romance during this pandemic.
If you are a plant lover and have been researching local Hamilton businesses to support, you may already be familiar with The Crazy Planter Lady on Instagram. Behind the beautifully painted pots and cute plants is Brittany Aiello.
The artist started the Instagram page back in 2018 to share her extensive plant collection. After successfully debuting her hand-painted plant pots at a 2019 art crawl, she turned her planting and painting hobby into a business.
View this post on Instagram
Aiello fell in love with painting plant pots because planting and art enabled her to unplug and relax. She loves her job as an educational assistant for students with special needs, however, it can be very stressful and painting plant pots is the perfect hobby that combines her passion for both art and gardening.
She also appreciates the community connection she is able to build with other local artists, plant enthusiasts and small business owners.
“[Painting plant pots] is a really good escape for me, physically and mentally. But on top of that, I've gotten to meet lots of cool people and whether it be at shows, customers or just people asking me for advice on how to take care of their plants. I think the community of Hamilton as a whole has a lot of great people that are willing to support local and so I've met awesome other business people like myself and artists,” said Aiello.
"[Painting plant pots] is a really good escape for me, physically and mentally. But on top of that, I've gotten to meet lots of cool people and whether it be at shows, customers or just people asking me for advice on how to take care of their plants."
The painting technique she uses most involves dish soap and acrylic paint to create unique, abstract patterns that also come in endless colour combinations. The most popular designs are galaxy and metallics.
Her pots can be purchased in a variety of sizes with or without a plant and custom typography can be added as well. Another collection the artist offers are the "tiny planter buddies" ranging from animals to miniature Starbucks cups.
Since uploading her first post on her Instagram page, her page has been flooded with support and love from the community. In fact, it was the same community that convinced her to sell her hand-painted pots. Behind the scenes, her husband who is a graphic designer helps with advertisements and social media posts.
View this post on Instagram
Outside of her social media page, Aiello also participates in art shows. Although her last show was in the summer of 2020, the supporters who come out to see her art motivate her to continue developing her business.
Aiello’s pots are available at Nest gift shop on Locke Street, which is currently closed due to the lockdown. However, her pots are still available for sale using contactless payment and pickup.
To fit the theme of a plant-based store, Aiello’s business is also eco-conscious and sustainable. All the packaging is made of recycled materials and she also offers plant rescues for her customers’ dying plants. Through this service, she is able to support new plant owners and share the values and benefits of planting with the community.
“I just love having living decor that you can change and it really brings up your mood inside your living space as well,” said Aiello.
“I just love having living decor that you can change and it really brings up your mood inside your living space as well,” said Aiello.
For those who are just starting to care for plants, Aiello shared her tips.
“You really can't go wrong with getting a desert plant like a succulent because it really does only need water once a month and you can forget about it and it looks beautiful. I think people just need to remember, it's okay if you lose a plant because then you learned a lesson and you can get a new plant,” said Aiello.
Being a plant parent can provide solace, distraction or beauty during this time of hurt and uncertainty. Whatever emotions you may have during the pandemic, planting — with the help of folks like Aiello — might be just the outlet you need to reignite a little jubilation.
By Donna Nadeem, Contributor
Cootes Paradise surrounds McMaster University’s campus, creating a warm, natural environment at Mac. At the Art Gallery of Hamilton (123 King St. West) and within the heart of the Jean and Ross Fischer Gallery, a collection of various works comes together to express the impact that Cootes has had on Hamilton — spanning the past, present and (hopefully) the future.
From paintings of the beautiful landscape contained in Cootes Paradise, to photographs of the life that resides within and maps documenting the area, “Cootes Paradise: A Place Above All Others” reveals the importance of this wetland. The works emphasize that if we don’t take care of Cootes, then we are going to lose it.
The exhibition is a collaboration between the Royal Botanical Gardens, Dundas Museum and Archives, Hamilton Public Library and the Art Gallery of Hamilton. It celebrates the centennial of the Hamilton Naturalists Club, discusses sustainability within Cootes Paradise and reflects on stewardship of the land. There is a focus on the human connection to the land and biodiversity.
Cootes Paradise has had a long past. Its usage claims were constantly debated in where a by developers and entrepreneurs. However, local bird watchers saw the threat looming. They began fundraising to preserve the wetlands as a natural habitat.
“Everyone had a different notion of what they wanted to do with this area, they wanted to live in it, hunt in it, they wanted to commercially develop it and this has been its fate,” said Tor Lukasik-Foss, director of programs and education at the Art Gallery of Hamilton.
Robert Ross is one of the artists who has contributed to this exhibition. Ross has been viewed has one of Hamilton’s most successful artists and considered a master of realism painting. The artist has focused much of his work on Cootes and Dundas Valley, detailing how the land has changed throughout time. This artwork, combined with maps and aerial photography provided by the Hamilton Public Library, effectively helps viewers understand how history has taken its toll on Cootes Paradise.
The Hamilton Naturalists Club asked its members to share their photos of the area, specifically of the birds that live and dwell within the trees. Reaching out to amateur photographers within their membership, they curated 40 photos of Cootes’ long-term residents.
The Hamilton Naturalists Club have been at the forefront of annual bird counts and record-keeping for bird activity in the area since 1927. Thanks to this, they have the most complete record of bird activity anywhere in North America.
“Even though we look at nature and think that this is a place where humans don’t reside, it's not really true, we are there whether nature wants us there or not, for the sake of its continuance we have to be there, so there’s this rich human culture that abounds beyond,” said Lukasik-Foss.
Naturally, as McMaster University overlooks the grounds of Cootes Paradise, a new course was created to explore the area. “Designing Paradise” will run during the Winter 2020 term. It will explore eco-concepts and re-define McMaster’s campus as an environmentally sustainable space. The course will be led by professors Judy Major-Giradin and Daniel Coleman.
“I love that through this course we can engage with the historical and political elements that still reside in the Hamilton landscape, but also have the chance to artistically explore the natural environment and reimagine west campus as the diverse ecosystem that it once was,” said Mariana Quinn, a 3rd year Studio Arts student who is enrolled in the ART 3DP3 Designing Paradise course.
Both Major-Giradin and Coleman are focused on sustainability. Major-Girardin is a Studio Arts professor that actively seeks methods in her studio practice that can provide and offer more environmentally responsible approaches. Coleman is an English professor who recently published a book called Yardwork in 2017 that analyzes Hamilton through ecological, cultural and political stories as well as builds awareness for the sacred land where he resides.
“These spaces, they are not untouched by humans, they are massively touched by humans, in fact, the only way that they live now is because of human advocacy and human action, so they are as talked about and combed over as any other urban space in a lot of ways,” said Lukasik-Foss.
“Cootes Paradise: A Place Above All Others” is a tremendous effort by members of the city to teach it’s residents that even though we live in a densely populated city, we have beautifully vibrant natural spaces. With these spaces; however, comes environmental issues that we need to get behind in to preserve our nature.
“Cootes Paradise: A Place Above All Others” is on display until Dec. 1 at the Art Gallery of Hamilton (123 King St. West). The exhibition is free to all McMaster students with a valid student card.
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Hamilton is increasingly becoming known as a haven for artists. This is demonstrated in the street art that has taken over the walls of the downtown core. Several of these pieces were created during Concrete Canvas, a visual arts festival that took place this past July. Each piece was painted legally and with permission from the city. Take this map along with you and go take in some of the art Hamilton has to offer!
Click a point on the map below to see some of the art!
Stop #1: 126 James St. South, “Gateway” by Vivian Rosas & Vesna Asanovic
This vibrant street mural is located on James Street, immediately next to the Hamilton Go Centre (36 Hunter St. E). It depicts different scenes from around the city through beautiful splashes of yellow, purple and orange. Scenes include hiking the Bruce Trail, walking along Art Crawl and eating pizza. It replaced an older, faded piece and is made of aluminum composite panels so that it can last for years to come.
Stop #2: 103 John St. South, Angelo Mosca tribute by @scottanddestroy
Scott McDonald is the lead curator of Concrete Canvas. His piece commemorates Angelo Mosca, a Canadian Football League player and professional wrestler known as King Kong Mosca or The Mighty Hercules. Mosca was a player for the Hamilton Tiger Cats and is in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. He is one of only a few players to have played in nine Grey Cup games. The painting is done in black, white and yellow to reflect the Tiger Cats colours, and shows Mosca running down the field.
Stop #3: 75-77 Hunter St. East, piece by @burnttoastcreative
This painting was done for Concrete Canvas by Burnt Toast Creative, also known as Canadian illustrator Scott Martin. It’s visible from blocks away with its blue sky and unique comic style. It sits directly opposite from the Angelo Mosca tribute and has an image of a giant hand holding someone aloft. If you're interested in his art style, you can see more of Martin's work on his website.
Stop #4: John Street and Jackson Street, parrot by @scottanddestroy
This painting was also done by Scott McDonald. It features a colourful parrot that brightens up the otherwise grim parking lot and bus stop nearby. It is offset slightly by the Kings Pizza logo located immediately next to the beak.
Stop #5: Main Street and John St. North, piece by @jordan_war
This painting was done by Jordan Warmington, a tattoo artist at John Street Tattoo (179 John St. S). It was also done as a part of Concrete Canvas. It decorates the construction plywood that has been sitting unadorned for several years now.
Stop #6: 81 King St. East, “Home Grown” by @luvsumone, @javid_jah and @danilotheartist
“Home Grown” was also done as a part of Concrete Canvas. It is located on the back of 81 King St. E, in a small alleyway. It features a house walking forward wearing boots. You can read more about this piece on @luvsumone's Instagram.
Stop #7: King Street East and Catherine Street, “Emanating Flash” by Kristofir Dean
This public art installation was created through the combined work of Effort Group, Scholar Properties Ltd. and the ARt Gallery of Hamilton. Dean is a contemporary artist and his work deals primarily in bright colours which can be found on display throughout the country, most notably at the Vancouver Mural in South Granville. You can read more about the piece on the installation itself.
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Mental illness touches everyone. For artist Ahmed Elfatih, intimate memories of his own life created the foundations for his art. From Sept. 7 to 16, Elfatih’s art pieces took over the walls of the Hamilton Audio Visual Node (HAVN) on 26 Barton Street East for “Mixed Matter”. This unique exhibit displayed Elfatih’s struggles leading up to his immigration from Omdurman, Sudan to Hamilton, Ontario. With a focus on his personal experiences with mental illness, each of his paintings tell a different memory from his life.
“These paintings are actual events; actual things that happened to me,” said Elfatih.
Elfatih’s mother was one of the main reasons why Elfatih was able to come to Canada. For five years, she worked to bring her family to this new country. Suitingly, all of Elfatih’s paintings are dedicated to his mother.
Elfatih started making art as early as six years old when his sister began teaching him how to draw characters such as Mickey Mouse. With the support of his dad, Elfatih eventually picked up art as a way to cope with his mood swings.
“When I’m happy, I paint. When I’m sad, I paint. It’s actually a healing method for me,” said Elfatih.
“Mixed Matter” is an art show that highlights all the struggles Elfatih faced in the process of coming to Hamilton. Elfatih noted that most of his difficulties in Omdurman revolved around managing mental illness. He continues to paint because he hopes to start a cause or campaign to use art and music to heal. Art is how he kept his happiness and energy.
Elfatih’s compositions contain unique figures and scenery that may not make sense to the mind at first. But that’s a lot like what feelings look like - sometimes when you try to depict them, they just don’t make sense. They are beautiful, chaotic and tragic in their own ways.
Feelings are exactly what Elfatih wants people to get from his exhibit. He wants his art to touch the human mind and heart; to see if others can relate to his work.
“I feel comfort when I find out that other people also go through those issues. What I’m trying to get is feelings. I want people to [leave the exhibit] with experience … That was what I was aiming for,” Elfatih remarked.
Elfatih notes that “Bell’s Curse” is one of his favourite pieces he’s done. “Bell’s Curse” depicts Elfatih in front of a patterned royal purple background. On the right side of his face, his features seem normal; if not a bit down-turned. On the left, his features blossom in different directions; almost as if they are sprouting out of his face and growing in their own way.
What could be the story behind this painting? Recently, Elfatih was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a temporary weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles. As a child, this was something he had experienced temporarily.. Four months ago; however, it stayed. Elfatih says that the painting represents him. What he takes from this painting is that flaws are beautiful and that you should be proud of them.
“God hand picks you to have [flaws] … especially if it’s visual, it’s like hey, I’m gonna put this little gift on you; this pearl on you,” he said.
As you go through the exhibit, you can see both the hurt and the healing that Elfatih has gone through. This is evident in each individual brushstroke, caption and story that his paintings retell.
Mental and physical illnesses are difficult. His paintings depict that clearly. But sometimes, some good can come from the pain and struggle.
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From April 6 to April 17, the Studio Art program’s 2019 graduates will present the annual SUMMA exhibition. Entitled Counterpoint, the show will be curated by Hamilton textile artist Hitoko Okada. For the first time in over 30 years, the McMaster Museum of Art will not house the show due to its ongoing updates. The exhibition will instead take place at the Cotton Factory.
McMaster Studio Arts is a small program, with the fourth year class consisting of only 19 artists. With instruction on a range of media and a focus on environmentally responsible practices, the program has produced diverse artists who care about the world around them. Counterpoint means “to combine elements” and is fitting considering the amalgamation of their various styles and the balance they try to strike within their individual works.
The graduates organized the exhibition themselves. While it gave them a chance to learn more about the lives of professional artists, it also taught them to work together. Coordinating among 19 people was not easy and after some bumps in the road to find the perfect venue, they are all relieved to see the show finally coming together.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id="268" gal_title="Grad Expo - Deeshani"]
Fernando spends a fair amount of time in nature, drawing and photographing the landscape around her. Back in the studio, she takes the colours, textures and lines from the environment to create the emotional and abstract landscape paintings that she’ll be displaying at Counterpoint.
“For me, [Counterpoint is] about… this the balance between the organic and the artificialness in my work… [I]t's taking… different colors… , textures and mark making and creating harmony and balance between all those different things within one image and creating a sort of peacefulness in that work,” Fernando explained.
Throughout the process of organizing the SUMMA show, Fernando learned how to survive as an artist. She feels that she now has an art practice of her own and regards her peers as professional contacts. As she leaves McMaster to pursue teaching, she will take those skills and contacts with her.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id="269" gal_title="Grad Expo - Caroline"]
For Lee, Counterpoint refers to the way her class’s wildly different works complement each other. Having spent four years critiquing and supporting one another’s practice, the exhibition represents the harmony between their different themes and materials.
The Korean-Canadian artist explores traditional Korean materials in her work. She portrays these traditional materials in a modern, digital format and then incorporates threading to unite the two ideas.
“I always get confused between Canadian and Korean aspects of myself… [T]his sense of detachment, trying to attach to something or being porous, kind of like a sponge, absorbing a lot of different cultures in order to make up my singular identity. And just like maintenance of this traditional and modern form of art,” Lee said.
Currently aiming to go into interactive design, Lee feels she learned the reality of being an artist. She has been exposed to the business side of the art world by learning to solve problems creatively and produce even without inspiration. The program’s push toward using materials to convey subtle themes has evolved Lee’s art practice.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id="272" gal_title="Grad Expo - Sean"]
Cooper didn’t have a lot of purpose behind his art when he entered the studio arts program. Four years later, he feels he is a more deliberate artist and currently explores ideas around memory and coming of age. At Counterpoint, he will be presenting acrylic paintings of Westdale, where he grew up.
“[W]ith my work, I just try and talk about what that experience was like… [D]ifferent places… might not necessarily be important to other people but I guess I have certain memories there,” Cooper said.
The fact that this is the last art gathering of his university career saddens Cooper, but he knows the entire class is proud of the show. Despite the challenges they faced, they demonstrated that they could accomplish anything with collaboration. The different backgrounds and art practices of the class would not seem to mesh, but Cooper feels a nameless common thread unites their work.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id="270" gal_title="Grad Expo - Delaney"]
McVeigh believes process and environmentalism brings together her diverse class’ work. A self-identified environmental artist, she explores interactions between living things with one another and with inanimate objects. Having grown up in a small town near Point Pelee National Park, she spent a lot of time in nature growing up.
McVeigh’s work for Counterpoint is a series of photolithographic prints. This long and old process of creating images is meaningful to her. She tries to present her dystopian and nonsensical images in an aesthetically pleasing way with vintage elements.
“I use a lot of vintage imagery in my work… [A]fter World War II… there was the baby boom and they created a very unstable environment where it was a throwaway society. Nothing was fixed, it's all just thrown away… And then it wasn't until the ‘90s when the environment became a very serious topic,” McVeigh explained.
Her work is personal, but the program has made her more comfortable with speaking about her art. By sharing these narratives with her classmates and professors, they all grew close. She anticipates that this graduation show will be bittersweet, but there is a lot from her time at McMaster that she will be taking with her. She learned to critique her own work and reach out for help, which will help her as she pursues a career in sustainable architecture.
After graduating with her Bachelor of Fine Arts with minors in theatre and film studies and music, Conti will be going into teaching. Her teaching program will focus on educational art programming in the community, something that Conti is an advocate for. She is excited about the fact that Counterpoint will bring her program’s work off campus and into the Hamilton community.
Conti will be showing a five-piece installation consisting of floating boxes with deconstructed paintings in them. Her work revolves around her experiences with depression and anxiety to open a dialogue about mental health.
“[S]o for this body of work, there's five different stories to which I'm telling, one of which is the story about my mother's cancer. Normally… they're more negative experiences that I'm trying to understand in a more positive way. So my strokes are colors that are brighter in trying to… accept these experiences and… learn from them but also move forward,” Conti explained.
With her theatrical background, Conti sometimes feels as if she is performing herself. There is vulnerability in her portrayal of her life and she explores privacy versus vulnerability in her work. However, her time at McMaster gave her the confidence to tell her story through theatre, music and art.
The graduation show will open with a reception at the Cotton Factory from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 6. The graduating class looks forward to sharing their work with the Hamilton community.
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Kyle West
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This photography series was inspired by comparing classic symbolism of unity and strength with consideration to the themes of Sex and the Steel City. Across the world and throughout many diverse culture, the symbol of holding hands can be seen to communicate intimacy or a close relationship.
Taking this symbol and empowering it through strong vertical compositional choices lend the viewer to perceive these couples and their love as prevailing. The stylistic choices are a nod towards the strength and monumentality of the landscape work of Ansel Adams and the influential portraiture of Platon. Ultimately, Come Together is a story of love, unity and partnership and my best ability to document this.
Kyle West is a Hamilton-based photographer. He is in his final year of art history at McMaster University and is currently the Photo Editor for the Silhouette. West has developed a particular interest in portraiture over the years, often times turning to digital and film photography to capture his subjects in a beautiful light. From perfectly timed scenes of bustling city streets on film to carefully composed landscapes and journalistic endeavours, West also utilizes his photography as a means for storytelling.
Erin Nantais
This digital drawing entitled “Shower Scene” explores ideas and themes of intimacy that are typically uncomfortable for individuals to openly discuss.
Sex and sexuality are often unnecessarily forbidden topics that need to be reimagined as natural and normal.
Through this piece, sexuality is explored and depicted as natural, normal and familiar.
Simple lines and colours along with a minimalistic look are used to enhance the idea of intimacy as a normal and acceptable human experience.
Erin Nantais is a fourth year multimedia student at McMaster University. She typically works with photography and graphic design. Her personal style of work emphasizes strong lines and simple colour schemes to create a distinctive digital feel. Creative portraiture and animal photography are main sources of inspiration for most of Nantais’ work. Nantais has always been interested in art and photography and through her work she’s found a digital style that incorporates elements of both.
Jet
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Jet’s artistic process relies heavily on research into my chosen focus. It starts with the inquiry: “I want to understand more about…” as they then experiment with different mediums until they find the right material and presentation of their idea. Visualization is the key to their process where they push the boundaries of my idea and test as many possibilities as they can. When the piece is ready for an audience, Jet prefers the audience takes part in the outcome of the work itself.
Jet works mainly with performance, video, sculpture, photography and painting. They try not to ever limit myself to one medium. Jet encounters ideas that seem to float in the air and works with them, listens to them, becomes them and finds the best method to allow the work to exist in harmony with the audience.
Jet’s practice often explores the human body in all of its physical and ethereal elements. Throughout their life they have always made space for themselves to imagine and work out complex issues. This gives them the head space to create and transform what is not yet physical into a tangible piece.
Jet is a multidisciplinary artist who emigrated from Mexico in 2009. They grew up feeling that they didn’t always belong. Social norms, family, friends, peers, the state, and especially an oppressive culture of dominance, sought to limit the creativity of their soul. Now their work reflects a rebirth of expression, and the power of the artist’s will to transform the unseen beauty that surrounds them.
Cait Gautron
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In her first piece, Eviscerate (3016), in using fruit to mirror anatomy Cait Gautron was seeking to question ideas of ripeness and primacy in media surrounding sex. Shadowing the piece are ideas of destruction and decay. With these characteristics she playfully seeks to evoke viscera while using approximate substitutes to create a surreal and dreamlike atmosphere.
Coercion (2018), oil on canvas. With this work, Gautron seeks to raise issues around social and institutional factors which motivate consent and the fear felt by participants who may unknowingly fall in to the role of perpetrator or victim.
In oil paints Gautron seeks to explore the delicate balance between desire and disgust, growth and decay, inherit in human anatomy. Raised by an artist mother, the majority of her early artistic education came from exploring the galleries and museums of Europe in her early teens. In that time she became enamoured with the lustre of Vermeer’s still lifes and the contortion of Schielle’s portraits. Currently enrolled in her second year of McMaster University’s studio arts program, Gautron has just began to show her work around Hamilton and Ontario.
Kayla Da Silva
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or nothing at all.
It’s 11:07 am.
You check your phone.
For a moment
you can’t breathe
and then breathing
happens all at once.
Too fast. Too frequent.
Depression lingers
in the depths of your mind
and anxiety holds
you by the throat.
_
It’s 9:27 pm.
You ask them to choose you,
but they show you
they never will.
Over and over again.
You knew all along
this was going
to happen.
The red flags
waved furiously
but they were in
your blind spot.
_
Now.
You are accompanied
by your old friend,
insomnia.
You are enveloped
with exhaustion,
and gently embraced
by the solace of truth.
Sometimes
you have to choose if
you want to pick
the dandelion
or the rose
or nothing at all.
The artwork accompanied by the poetry is meant as a reflection of relationships that are emotionally damaging. More times than never, an individual in the relationship may not be aware of how complicated the situations were until leaving them.
The series is meant to highlight the mental turmoil an individual can experience when the pattern of behaviours from a partner negatively impacts their state of mind. When being in a complicated relationship, it can often lead to an internal conflict when they are in-love with their partner.
The difficult question is; how long can one hold on to what appears to be a rose when the thorns cause trauma? A partner should never put you in a position where you need to routinely put your wellbeing at risk.
Kayla Da Silva, also known as Kaylita, is a creative and a designer. She has found her poetry to be a suitable companion to the visuals she creates. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in multimedia and communications from McMaster University and currently resides in Hamilton, Ontario working full-time as a junior graphic designer.
Instagram: @iamkaylita
Matty Flader
CW: Disordered eating
For me, sex and food have always had their limbs awkwardly intermingled (in a no eye contact Grindr hookup sort of way). I know what you’re thinking: “how deep, bananas look like dicks and I’m entirely enthused and kind of turned on.” Yet, the story of this photograph is really one of inner turmoil, anguish and ultimately resistance. The food/fuck correlation, as I call it, has lingered like an unwanted houseguest in my head for quite some time now. It goes something like this: the less sex I’m having the less I feel I’m allowed to eat. In times of plentiful or at least grandiose sexual conquest, I can take a breath… or, a bite I guess. The logic is as desperate as it is simple. If I’m not getting laid, I better stop snacking and start looking like a snack. The food/fuck correlation not only problematically frames sex as some prize for me to win, it also leads me through disorderly cycles of eating. It’s all too easy for the things I did or didn’t eat to change my self-perceived body image.
This self portrait is meant to picture the undying torment food puts me through. Putting a voice to this struggle challenges the hegemonic belief that men, those wonderful, tenacious beasts, could never develop eating disorders. The photo challenges the societally constructed ideal of a man who is too tough to feel pain. Inability to conform to this ideal can strip one of his own masculinity. As men the borders of our gendered and sexual identities are constantly under scrutiny by our peers. For most, it’s far easier to conform by reproducing masculinity however they see possible. As a result, men are taught that being normal means never being vulnerable. Expressions of masculine insecurity like my food/fuck anxiety are constantly pushed to the margins of society. I say fuck that. Through this photo I proudly shout: I am a man, I have feelings, sometimes I feel insecure, but here I am. And hey, I bet you’d still fuck me.
Matty Flader is an emerging artist based in Hamilton, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia. He takes an interdisciplinary approach to art projects, with a specialization in portrait photography. Flader’s work concerns a broad range of topics, including gender performance, eating abnormality and responses to current events. He often challenges difficult ideas through a humourous lens in attempt to bring attention to the absurdity of this world.
Instagram: @matt_der
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For Amber Wilson, Vice-President of Internal Affairs with the McMaster Humanities Society, art is a huge part of her life — and everyone else’s. “There's art everywhere. I know it's corny, but there is,” the fourth year Philosophy student said.
The universality of art is something Art Matters Week aims to draw attention to. A collaboration between the MHS and Humanities SRA members, Art Matters Week offers a variety of free events for students in all faculties to enjoy. “This year we've really opened it up to the whole school, which is really important so we've changed the focus from humanities to art and the arts,” Wilson explained.
Running from Mar. 7 to 11, Art Matters Week is made up of a diverse array of activities and events. These include a panel discussion involving a member of each faculty explaining how they use art in their teaching, workshops led by Humanities-affiliated clubs, an arts alumni mixer and a wine and cheese night at the McMaster Museum of Art. Wilson and the Art Matters Week planning team hope these events will appeal to students in all faculties.
Wilson is most excited for the events of Mar. 11, however. Between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. the MUSC Atrium will be transformed into an art gallery. “We have students from all faculties submitting their art. We're bringing Art Crawl to us. So we'll have tables set up with Mac student art and at the same time the Jazz Ensemble and the Flute Ensemble will be playing,” she said, adding that student art submissions are welcome until Mar. 10.
The exhibit will also feature Robbie J, a well-known live painter. “He's going to bring all of his materials and you can just come and watch him paint ... In his 'artist's requirements' he said it's required that he have a fun atmosphere. So however whatever's going inspires him, he's going to put it into that piece. And then he's going to be donating that piece to us.”
This year marks a new chapter for Art Matters Week. In the past, the week had a minimal presence on campus. Events were sparse and quiet, the highlight being a coffeehouse at Bridges. “Gauging interest is what we're trying to do this year, so if people are excited about it, we're just going to keep making it bigger,” Wilson explained.
She added that she was inspired to revamp the event after giving a campus tour. “One of the parents of the tour I was giving asked if I liked living in Hamilton ... There’s so much culture in Hamilton and a lot of people don't realize it.” As this is the first year the events have been planned to have a greater reach on campus, most of the events are tied to McMaster. However, Art Crawl and other off-campus events will also be promoted throughout the week.
Wilson hopes the events will entice students to look at all the ways art factors into their lives and the Hamilton community at large. “People don't realize how amazing the arts community is in Hamilton ... it's just sitting there and it's waiting to be realized.”
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