Gemma Fleming's Self-Portraits

New WIN-Initiative Talent Gemma Fleming has a solo exhibit this Wednesday, November 18 at the Dressing Room. WINk caught up to her to hear what she had to say about her work, the exhibit and her dark side.

You moved here from Seattle last year. How’s the year been?
Things are starting to move pretty rapidly for me. People have been really receptive to my work.

And now you have this solo exhibit. What are you most excited for people to see?
I was a little hesitant to do a self-portrait exhibit because I felt that it was too self-fulfilling at first. It’s not that I was shy or anything like that; I just didn’t know how the gallery would sell the idea. But I’m actually very excited to see people’s interpretations of my work, more so than their reactions.

Do you think it’s harder to get recognition or to break into the industry when doing self-portraits?
Probably. Yeah. I’ve never been recognized commercially for my self-portrait work. But once people start to research the stuff I do, I find that having the self-portraits, which definitely are more from a fine art background, gives fluidity to the work I do overall.

Your work is thematically dark. Why is that such a recurring theme?
I do stick with that theme because I find some of the best work I do has been done when I’ve been the most distressed. Sticking to that theme is something I’m going to evolve for the rest of my life. It’s not that I intentionally do that. I guess it’s just the way my artistic wiring has been tailored all these years.

What’s the allure of the self-portrait for you?
It goes back to trying to encapsulate and capture a specific moment in my life. It’s like this timeline for myself. Being able to tell not just other people but myself what I felt at the time. To look back and see how my stuff has emotionally and technically gotten better, as well. My pieces are like monuments to moments of my life.

What about working in motion? Any chances of self-portrait work through that medium?
Oh, yes, definitely. I’ve been working on something already. It will be my first self-portrait video. When will that be finished, I don’t know, but this is something I’m definitely pushing for.