Meet Gemma King – artist

Gemma King, a masterful printmaker who grew up on the land at Walcha, returns to Weswal Gallery with a new body of work, ‘Flock’. Running from 28 May to 22 June, this new collection delves into the symbiotic relationship between the farmer and their sheep – an homage to the mutual protection and sustenance each provides for the other.

 

What inspired you to create this latest collection? 

This new suite of 23 monoprinted reduction linocut landscapes are a continuation of a stream of thought I have been pondering/making art about for the past six years. The title of the solo show is ‘Flock’ and will be opening at Weswal Gallery in Tamworth on Saturday 31 May. In that time I’ve developed my own style of one-off prints (aka monoprints), always taking care to ensure that any collectors can be confident that the piece they are purchasing is singular, like a painting or a drawing – and also unrepeatable due to the reduction printmaking process. While I lived and worked on a sheep and cattle farm in the small town of Walcha in the New England region, I was witness to the effects climate change had on the country, the livestock and the community. Through five years of vicious drought to the fires of the Black Summer, the time there had a deep effect on my psyche. The country, where I occasionally still do a few jobs around the farm, has been enjoying good rain and fruitful seasons. I now live in Newtown, Sydney, but my mind and heart is still on the farm. I moved to Sydney after a painful breakup – and was also struggling with my mental health following years of stress from watching the land and animals struggle in the dry. Feeling fairly helpless, I eventually concluded I needed a prolonged break from the isolation of the farm. While I struggle with my choices, I chose to follow my truest passion of making art and to concentrate my energies on exploring the ideas I garnered from working through a difficult time in terrible weather. The climate changing and my concern for the future is where my ideas for art lie. It is our biggest challenge, using the metaphor and vehicle of the sheep, the role of the farmer and the symbiotic relationship with caring for his stock is my way of talking about the effects on the land through my eyes.

Can you describe the time it takes to create each artwork? 

Each of these prints were worked on simultaneously, so I had 23 prints up on the walls of my studio and living room, in total it has taken over nine months to complete. The reduction process works in stages – so I draw up my image using a sharpie/permanent marker onto my lino, for this project there were four lino plates. I then decide how many works I plan to make from each plate – this time it was six per plate, due to expense and space constraints, so in total I planned for 24. Unfortunately one wasn’t printed well enough so it didn’t make the final cut. I then carve only what will be white in the final image, then I ink up each plate with a light colour using oil based ink (I use a Welsh company, Cranfield Colours) and leather rollers. Then, using my press, I imprint the colour onto the paper (I use an Italian cotton rag paper by Fabriano 250gsm), this was repeated onto the 24 pieces of paper with a new light colour for each piece of paper. The next step is then carving away my lightest tone in the image on all four pieces of lino, I then applied a blend colour, again different choices of colour for each piece of paper, and pressed the colour onto the first layer. I repeat this process for another two to three layers, choosing darker toned colours with each layer, applying full colour or blended colours depending on what each image seems to need. I encountered issues with drying times, ink refusing to adhere to the previous layer and issues with finding space to let the work dry properly, but it all came out in a way I was very pleased with in the end. I have been making linocuts since I was a teenager, but after 20 or so years of doing this discipline I always find I have learnt more about the process and always find things I want to challenge myself with next.

The colours are so breathtaking – tell me – how do you do that? 

Thank you! When I was younger, I used to worry that I didn’t have a good eye for colour, but I’ve become more confident and really enjoy using it in bold ways these days! The way I choose and mix my colours is fairly instinctive, starting the image with a different colour on each base layer often informs the next. I don’t usually plan as I think the colour combinations end up more exciting when I just sort of wing it. Sometimes it will seem to be an easy choice of what colour to mix up next, other times I toss and turn about what to do. Occasionally I’ll apply a colour I thought would work, but decide to mix up something else entirely and cover over, which increases dry time and can have transfer problems so I only do that if I really need to. Ultimately though, colour is a real expression of my mood and my inner diary, so keeping it open to how I feel on the day and what I’m responding to in my daily life is really important to me and a big part of the joy of doing what I do.

How important is it to promote this handmade craftsmanship?

So important! I hope people can understand the level of care, time and practise it takes to make these long process artworks. Countless hours – I estimate over 250 for each of these prints, one mis-register (where I place the plate onto the piece of paper crooked/off-centre) can ruin the work and honestly is pretty much unsaveable if that happens. There is a lot to consider the whole way through the process. I’ve been attempting to educate anyone who is interested, as I make, about the special world of printmaking. It’s often overshadowed by painting or sculpture, but its history is just as rich and just as important. The process asks for a level of craftsmanship usually reserved for trades of artisans and yet it also has the whimsy and expression of painting and drawing.

Dare I ask – what are your thoughts on AI?

I really hope that people will continue to seek out the handmade, the artist/artisans/designers touch. The care, time and love injected by the human, I just don’t think can be rivalled by AI, or at least I really hope not! All our stories, our experiences, skills passed down for thousands of years, there’s so much information in the way we do things. Everything from the carving that I have honed for 20 odd years, to the hand mixing of paint that I choose on the spot and in response to my emotions and memories, I believe has value. I hope people continue to value these things over the artificial in the future. What on earth will all the creatives do? It’s definitely something to consider, but for me, I am just going to keep carving and printing away regardless!

What do you find the most challenging about being a regional artist?

While living on the farm, finding the time was likely my biggest challenge. The communities have been so incredibly supportive. Walcha is this amazing town full of creatives, with sculptures all over the town for the public to enjoy and a new sculpture track NEST (New England Sculpture Track) being developed as we speak, it’s an amazing area for artists to live. I hope to move back to the area and am currently looking to move in the very near future. I am still on the hunt for representation in Sydney, and while it’s also a very artistic city, it’s easy to get lost in the noise.

What’s next from here? 

I’m always looking for more exhibitions, I’m regularly entering into art prizes and in contact with galleries all over NSW. I’m also open to commissions, public or private too! Anyone who would like to get in contact can find me on Instagram or via my website.

Website | Instagram | Gemma King returns to Weswal Gallery, Tamworth, with ‘Flock’ from Wednesday 28 May to Sunday 22 June