Freeq Magazine 21st January, 2010
FETISHISM, FEMNITY & FANTASY
After a chance meeting last year at an art show we invited an up and coming Manchester painter to show people her work in our beautiful magazine. Thankfully we also had time for a quick chat.
In a world of digital the tradtional is often overlooked, left slumped at the back of the room sick from underexposure. In contrast 31 year-old Gemma Parker trained in multiple disiplines to explore medium but now paints rose tinted pasts with imagined characters.
She graduated with an MA in Communication Design in 2001.When she finished studying her work had been, through independant and influecned decisions, focused on variety.
"When I met David Hancock in Manchester he looked at my work and recommeded that I try getting into painting, which isn't somehting I would necessarily have focused on. Eight years later I always paint" explains Parker.
"Allure" creeps to the lips when looking at Parker's paintings. There's the nod back in time to an era of percieved 'innocence in sexuality', the curvacious feminine creatures created in homage to a pre-war Britain of glamour and the witty tone inherent throughout her works means it's easy to see why these images have proved so successful at exhibitions and with private commissions.
"I have a lot of requests for portraiture with the oddest private commission coming from a gentleman who just wanted a tiny segment of a girls back drawing. It makes sense really when you think about my work" she quips.
Making it as a freelance artist in Manchester can often be a mammoth task- the city scene is notoriously underfunded when compared to rival 'creative hubs' such as Glasgow or Liverpool. To ease the burden Parker and other artists who work at the city's URBIS gallery created URBIS Creatives in early 2009
"It's been a strange year in art as galleries, exposure and interest, have all suffered thanks to the recession. The Creatives really helps stabilise some of this as it means that everyone has their ear to the ground and can assist eachohter even if we work in hugely different styles" says Parker.
"I personally try to celebrate femininty thorugh artwork, and give it a sexual but tongue in cheek touch. I find glamour, theatrics and showmanship very important and want to show people this. I hope that people can see this in both the burlesque figures, and my new work, which deals with sailor tattoos, female imagery and the importance of nautical phrases in common language" says Parker, a young woman beginning to make waves against the tide of the times.
Martin Gutteridge-Hewitt
Sphere Magazine
Following my exhibiting at this year's Buy Art Fair, I have been featured in a fab article by journalist Martin-Guttridge Hewitt highlighting his favourite three picks from the selection of art on show!
Sunderland Echo 20th December, 2008
Exhibition: Burlesque artist Gemma Parker (right) at the opening of an exhibition of paintings at The Place, Athenaeum St, Sunderland, pictured with Kirstin Woods (left)
ART SHOW REVEALS STREETS FLAMBOYANT CHARACTERS
Four flamboyant characters were brought to life in an historic part of Sunderland.
Group Art-Wave worked with Sunderland students, photographers and Manchester based burlesque artist Gemma Parker to create the characters who lived in Sunniside in the 1800's.
They included a dressmaker, a minister, a widowed school mistress and a French shipbroker. Paul Brooks of Art-wave said: "Sunniside is such an interesting place, and we keen to delve deeper into it's history. The exhibiton was a culmination of work we have been doing with Gemmma to combine burlesque with Sunniside history and create flamboynat characters based on real Victorian Norfolk Street residents."
BBC Stoke and Staffordshire 11th November, 2008
A little snippet from the BBC covering the Scarlet Fever portrait unveiling held last month at Stoke on Trent Burlesque. (This article is no longer available)
See Events for more details
Collective North East 1st July, 2008
MEET THE COLOURFUL CHARACTERS OF SUNNISIDE'S PAST
Manchester artist Gemma Parker is coming to Sunderland in partnership with Art-Wave to respond to historical research into the Sunniside area and some of the characters who've lived there in an exhibition entitled The Sunniside of Burlesque. A photoshoot of costumed characters took place in the area in May and these photographs will be exhibited in The Place in June (date TBC) alongside some of the artist's recent paintings.
www.gemmaparker.co.uk
Interview for The Candy Pitch 20th June, 2008
In this interview I answer some quirky questions about what inpires me to paint and perform burlesque!
Press coverage of Sunniside shoot 21st May, 2008
The press turned up to interview and photograph myself and the participants of the Sunniside art project where I've been doing my burlesque art residency. I am wrongly credited in this photo, I was the artist in residence for this project. You can read details about the event on my myspace blog HERE
Coverage on Style in the City
See my 'Bon Bon's' work as exhibited at 'In All Her Finery' in Channel M's Style In The City Episode 8. This episode also features a small interview with me talking about the delight of corsets!
Interview with Shake it Doll! 2nd February, 2008
The fabulous blog which documents the shimmies and shakers of the UK burlesque circuit has recently interviewed me about my art, style and ambitions.
Tassel Time Interview! 18th November, 2007
I was interviewed for episode two of the UK burlesque radio show Tassel Time! The interview covered recent and upcoming art projects, inspirations and burlesque news and chat.
Link no longer available
Pure Cheshire 4th September, 2007
Gemma Parker is Cheshire's first and only burlesque and retro pin up artist, that is, she specialises in painting or photographing vintage style glamour and all things 'Showgirl'. She's been painting professionally for five years and has had various exhibitons around the country. She took part in group shows including the 'Ooh La La' exhibiton of burlesque inspired art held recently in Nottingham. This show was the first of its kind held in Britain.
Gemma, aged 29, has lived in Hyde for the past 27 years. She grew up in Flowery Field where her father was the minister of the local Unitarian Church. She explained why she's taken this unusual route: 'The aim of my work is to celebrate femininity and showmanship with style and charm. At a very young age I knew I was going to be an artist and at Flowery field Infants and Juniors I was always first to dive into the paints and crayons. At Hyde High School I studied visual art, textiles, and graphic art. My art teacher Mr Peace was a big help in focusing my talent and encouraging me to try new techniques in drawing. I did my first still life in his class.'
Her subject, Scarlet Fever, was a cleaner before embarking on a career with the 'Faking It' TV show. She was often called out to do house cleans in Cheshire and remembers it as a lovely area. She now performs at various clubs around the country and is a famous name in the burlesque circuit.
Over the past few years burlesque hs made a huge comeback in the North West. Part of its revival is down to the fun and diverse entertainment it offers. Burlesque is accessable to everyone. Its brand of cheekiness, humour and imagination gives a nod to yesteryear and is a true art form in itself.
To see more of Gemma's art work go to:
www.gemmaparker.co.uk
Gemma photographing the star of Channel Four's 'Faking It Burlesque Christmas Special', Miss Scarlet Fever. Gemma is working on a series of paintings starring Northern burlesque stars.
Manchester Advertiser 30th May, 2003
Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes?
By Steph Jones
A local art gallery is showing a collection of work by an up and coming Manchester artist which was inspired by the title of the classic Hollywood movie. 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' is the first solo exhibition by Manchester based Gemma Parker who recently graduated from the city's Metropolitan University.
The collection is featured at the Warsaw Project Space on the ground floor of the Open Artists Studio, George Leigh Street Ancoats. Curator David Hancock said, ' It's a brilliant collection, we're privelliged to be able to showcase Gemma's work in this way.'
The concept behind the paintings is a celebration of women, and in spite the title, ironically depicts only dark haired women, who appear confidently sexy without being overtly sexual or provocative. The addition of speech bubbles from the character adds to the sultry nature created by each model such as,'I've been watching you lately' and, 'I don't think you're ready for this'. Gemma says, 'Each painting contains a quote chosen personally by the model to reflect something of herself which taken out of context suggests a confrontation with the viewer as though they are being flirtatiously addressed.'
She addes that the aim of the collection is to break down barriers of conformity that women are expected to adhere to, in order to be accepted as truely 'beautiful'.
Gemma's work aims to challenge social conventionalty and dispel the myth that gentlemen really do prefer blondes.
The exhibition lasts until the 8th June and is displayed Fridays and Saturdays between 12 -5 pm ant other viewings can be made by appointment on 0161 236 5612
City Life 14th May, 2003
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Warsaw Project space, to 8th June
As far as the female body is concerned, there is the truth and then there is the myth. The latter is perpetuated by the many facets of popular culture, a fact that artist Gemma Parker trades on in her current exhbition at the Warsaw Project Space. The relationship is symbiotic of course, for while women are at best complicit, at worst instumental in shaping the media potrayal of the femme form, the media in turn, not only influences women, but to a certain degree defines their identity.
For many including Parker, the primary 20th Century touchstone for femininity was Marilyn Monroe: 'the ultimate female icon, being the embodiment of all that is feminine', Parker remarks. Here the Monroe posing models are depicted in photo realist painting style, with the inclusion of speech bubbles, giving each pose a seaside postcard aura, which if removed from their setting, take on a more menacing language, of lechery and stalking. Or as Parker more innocently sees it, 'a confrontation with the viewer, as though they are being sassily adddressed'. Visually fun if a little straightforward.
Jane Griffiths
Metro 2nd May, 2003
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Taking it's title from a Marilyn Monroe film as an ironic introdution to this exhibition, Gemma Parker presents her series of paintings of dark haired women.
Recalling the overworked concept of the portrayal of women in the 21st Century, the exhibition is a sassy series of confident looking women (pictured).
Speech and thought bubbles add attitude, almost engaging the viewer in conversation and subsequently creating the context in which the work is viewed. Direct, flirtatious quotes give the women an upper hand such as 'I've been watching you lately', and 'I don't think you're ready for this'.
Contrasting with this in, ' I don't know if I'm being foolish' a rock chick wearing strong makeup and a red lacey number, shies away from the viewer in a sudden, pensive moment.
Indeed, the girls all appear to have a hidden agenda, and there is certainly more to them than meets the eye. gentlemen Prefer Blondes certainly has women on top, and while it's a well executed idea, it's not exactly new either, a bit more blonde ambition next time please.
Emma Turnball
Metro 25th April, 2003
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Inspired by Sex And The City, and taking it's title from the artist's favourite film, this is an exhibition of portraits by Gemma Parker, questioning notions of femininity and how women are percieved in popular culture. Depsite the fact that none of her subjects have even a whiff of peroxide the blondeness of the title plays on the misconceptions of the ideal woman, embodied by Marilyn Monroe.
Hair teased, face painted and glad rags on though minus the Manolos and Cosmopolitans, each potrait contains a quote bubble (pictured) giving the suggestion of a sassy and confrontational dialogue with the viewer. Part pop art, part photo story (only without the narrative), Parker descibes theses works as feminine but without the abrasiveness of femininsm.
A communiction design graduate at Manchster Metropolitan University, she has previoulsy exhibited at the Cross Street Chapel with the show, From innocence to corruption, has been involved in art projects with the Northern Ballet, and provided illustrations for the Labour Behind the label and Women Working Worldwide organisation.
LW
