Groundswell
A sudden gathering of force in public opinion, a violent ocean swelling caused by a distant earthquake or storm, a concept applicable to much of the last year…
Despite the helplessness we might feel in the face of such seemingly powerful phenomena, the reality of the earth’s resilience and longevity relative to our human consciousness and short span of existence can be both inspiring and comforting. Beneath the surface, under the thin crust on which everything lives, incremental changes and movements are occurring that can eventually bring about monumental, mountainous results. Wind, water and earthquakes are constantly reshaping landscapes and cities.
This body of work explores real and imaginary interactions between the forces of nature and manmade environments and activities. A house teeters on an eroded cliff above the sea, a submerged church is colonized by coral, sliced landscapes reveal the fossilized layers of previous eras, magma seethes a few miles below the earth’s crust. By trying to situate our fleeting human concerns in relation to long-term geological and meteorological processes, I hope to find new perspectives beyond the turbulence of current events.
Bio/Statement
I was born and grew up in Scotland. After graduating from the Glasgow School of Art in the 1990s, I moved to Portland, where I integrated years of drawing and painting with a handcraft I learned from my Gran during my childhood. My work weaves together these distinct languages, referencing the hand-labor of generations of women as well as contemporary culture. The process involves knotting (and unraveling) hundreds of yarns to create each work. Each knot can represent a moment in time or disappear into the whole, and this interplay between material and subject animates the work. I see the fabric as a net, filtering and transforming traditionally dominant gender roles and fine art genres. My work comprises a number of ongoing series: muscular yet soft reclining male nudes, masked women portrayed as superheroes hiding in plain sight, venerable local and historical matriarchs. and landscapes depicting the breakneck pace of the built environment. Out of concern for the natural environment, my work is primarily made from post-consumer materials.
Jo Hamilton
May 2026
A sudden gathering of force in public opinion, a violent ocean swelling caused by a distant earthquake or storm, a concept applicable to much of the last year…
Despite the helplessness we might feel in the face of such seemingly powerful phenomena, the reality of the earth’s resilience and longevity relative to our human consciousness and short span of existence can be both inspiring and comforting. Beneath the surface, under the thin crust on which everything lives, incremental changes and movements are occurring that can eventually bring about monumental, mountainous results. Wind, water and earthquakes are constantly reshaping landscapes and cities.
This body of work explores real and imaginary interactions between the forces of nature and manmade environments and activities. A house teeters on an eroded cliff above the sea, a submerged church is colonized by coral, sliced landscapes reveal the fossilized layers of previous eras, magma seethes a few miles below the earth’s crust. By trying to situate our fleeting human concerns in relation to long-term geological and meteorological processes, I hope to find new perspectives beyond the turbulence of current events.
Bio/Statement
I was born and grew up in Scotland. After graduating from the Glasgow School of Art in the 1990s, I moved to Portland, where I integrated years of drawing and painting with a handcraft I learned from my Gran during my childhood. My work weaves together these distinct languages, referencing the hand-labor of generations of women as well as contemporary culture. The process involves knotting (and unraveling) hundreds of yarns to create each work. Each knot can represent a moment in time or disappear into the whole, and this interplay between material and subject animates the work. I see the fabric as a net, filtering and transforming traditionally dominant gender roles and fine art genres. My work comprises a number of ongoing series: muscular yet soft reclining male nudes, masked women portrayed as superheroes hiding in plain sight, venerable local and historical matriarchs. and landscapes depicting the breakneck pace of the built environment. Out of concern for the natural environment, my work is primarily made from post-consumer materials.
Jo Hamilton
May 2026
