Jamie Nares on Brushstrokes, Trans Identity, and a Retrospective at Milwaukee Art Museum

In a conversation with Hyperallergic for Pride Month, Jamie Nares shares insights into her emphasis on brushstroke artistry, her transgender experience, and a retrospective at the Milwaukee Art Museum from 2019. Originally from London, Nares relocated to New York in 1974 and publicly came out as transgender in 2019, adopting a new artist name in 2024. She compares her artistic reduction to a singular brushstroke to the process of bread-making. Reflecting on her upbringing in strict English boarding schools, she recalls purchasing her first dress at 17 and overcoming challenges following three unsuccessful marriages. A self-portrait posted by her daughter on Instagram marked a subtle introduction to her identity. Now 72 and residing in Chatham, Upstate New York, she is creating new short films and paintings with refined brushwork. Nares highlights that her 1978 film Rome '78 was an early expression of her true self. While the interview touches on threats to trans healthcare in the US, she remains steadfast, asserting, "the lid is off."