Gemma Flack

I’m Gemma, and i’m an art girl and zinemaker in Melbourne, originally from the UK. i love drawing, singing & making music, being inspired by girls, body positivity, intersectional feminism, zines & zine culture, street & diy fashion, living ethically, living cute, bright colours, adorable animals, girls taking selfies in their bedrooms, the 80s & 90s, women making music, women making art, women taking over the world.

(Photography by Tatanja Ross 2015)

Have you always been creative and artistic?

Yes, I've been making art for all the parts of my existence that I remember. In school my friends always used to ask me to do drawings for them to go on their homework, and I guess that's when I realised I had something that not everyone has. I studied art at college and uni but it took a long time for me to realise it was actually possible to make a career out of it. Careers counselling at school was always like 'oh, you want to be an artist? How about a career in arts administration? How about a career in something else academic which is vaguely related to the arts in some kind of way but not really?' But never actual support and encouragement. So I thought it was impossible and that I had to choose something else, something safe. I'm glad I figured it out in the end.

How would you describe the style of your work?

My work is about fierce and vulnerable babes - an exploration of identity and a celebration of how young women and girls adapt, rebel against, and subvert expectations of femininity whilst living in patriarchal society. It's also really cute.

What’s in your pencil case and what’s your favorite tool?

Mechanical pencils, black fineliners, copic markers, pencil crayons, gouache, and tattoo ink. My favourite tool is probably my mechanical pencil, it's the basis for pretty much everything I do. Everything starts from there.

Who is your favorite superhero?

Does Buffy count? If Buffy counts, I'm going with Buffy.

If you could have one super power what would it be?

I always used to have dreams when I was younger that I could fly, and there was this special thing I did in my dreams where I had to run and then jump and deliberately launch myself into the ground. In my dreams I would always swoop upwards at the last minute and then be able to soar around about 10 feet off the ground. I used to be convinced I could really do it, as long as I launched myself just right. It was a little bit too risky to try it out though.

Where do you look for inspiration?

I'm mostly inspired by humans, girls in particular. I spend a lot of time on tumblr, looking for powerful girls who are doing interesting things. I also spend a lot of time in nature to give my mind the chance to wander without needing to be busy doing something else.

Who are your favorite artists or comic book authors?

My favourite artists are Jenny Holzer, David Shrigley, Yoko Ono, Yoshitomo Nara, Yayoi Kusama, and all the girls out there who are making art that supports women.