Vali Myers

Vali Myer is perhaps Australia’s most flamboyant, bohemian artist known equally for her striking presence and her exquisite fine pen and ink drawings that focussed on women, nature and animals. Vali divided her life between Melbourne, the notorious “Hotel Chelsea” in New York City and a fourteenth century cottage in her creative haven and animal sanctuary in Positano, Italy.

ELECTRONIC SOURCES

Websites

• Outré Gallery, Melbourne. Viewed 30^th September, 2011, <http://www.outregallery.com/browse.aspx?Category=162>. 

This Gallery Website features an extended biography of Vali Myers by Julia Inglis.

Outré Gallery and Publishing are very honoured to be working closely with the Vali Myers Trust on a new book on the life and art of this amazing artist and person.  The book is set to be launched in 2012. 

• The Vali Myers Art Gallery trust, viewed 30^th September, 2011, <http://www.valimyers.com/>.

The Vali Myers Art Gallery Trust is a not for profit organisation dedicated to fostering and promoting the art of Vali Myers. It is the sole copyright holder of her work and is managed by Executive Director Ruth Cullen and Directors Julia Inglis and Robert Yarra.The intention of the trust is to establish a permanent museum for the work of Vali Myers.

DVD

• Cullen, Ruth. ‘Painted lady’, DVD, 2002, 26 min.

Produced and Directed by Ruth Cullen

In this delightful documentary, made as a sequel to the festival hit The Tightrope Dancer, director Ruth Cullen captures Australian artist and adventurer Vali Myers at her studio in the heart of Melbourne. With the Romany poet Lee Fuhler, and the Klezmer musical group Vardos whose wild music from Eastern Europe provides an exuberant backdrop to the “at-home”action, only this home and its inhabitants are unlike any that you’ve seen before. Categories: women’s interest, art, Vardos, Romany, gypsy, Melbourne.

• Cullen, Ruth. ‘The tightrope dancer’, DVD, 1990, 58min.

An engrossing documentary on artist and adventurer Vali Myers; the legendary flame-haired dancing Bohemian of post-war Paris; the Free Spirit of Tennessee Williams’ Orpheus Descending and the creator of magical paintings. Shot on location in her wild remote valley in Salerno, and Naples where she dances with Vesuvian gypsies, Vali resumes her annual sojurn at New York’s Chelsea Hotel where she continues to take the city by storm.Featuring appearances by movie star Peter Weller (Robocop) musicians Deborah Harry (Blondie) and Chris Stein and George Plimpton. Categories: woman's interest, art, rock music, Romany, gypsy, poetry, New York City.

PRINTED SOURCES

Monographs 

• Menichetti, Gianni, ‘Vali Myers: Memoirs’, Golda Foundation; 1^st Ed. Sep 1, 2007, 244pp. ISBN-10: 0978560604

Gianni Menichetti's moving tribute to his lover, muse and friend, the unforgettable, hugely talented, feisty and fiery, Australian artist, Vali Myers, is a very beautiful and compelling true life love story.  Finely presented, with quality plates and touching vignettes of Vali's and Gianni's life with their beloved animals, this book is not only a collector's piece;it’s also a fabulous read. The honesty in this memoir shines through. Gianni's love for Vali is timeless, whilst acknowledging the joys and difficulties of life with a woman of uncommon beauty and uncompromising spirit.Categories: Biography, memoirs, women’s interest, art, Klezmer music, Romany, gypsy, romance, Italy.

Available at Outre Gallery, Melbourne online shop, <http://www.outregallery.com/browse.aspx?Category=162>.

• Myers, Vali, Elsken, E, Plimpton, George. A ‘Vali Myers: drawings 1949-79, Open House, London, 1980.127pp.ISBN-10: 0905664256

Foreword by Ed Van der Elksen. Introduction by George, A Plimpton. This book Features the artwork of Australian artist, Vali Myers. Great for collector’s and Vali Myers appreciators, includes many examples of her fine illustrations between 1949 and 1979. Categories: Australian artists, women's interest, art, illustrations.

Available through Amazon online book store, <http://www.amazon.com/Vali-Myers-Drawings-1949-79/dp/0905664256/>.

Journal Articles

•  Lennon, Peter ‘The window of death’.  The Artist, Vol. 96, The Artist Publishing Corp., 1981. The University of Michigan. Digitised Aug 2^nd, 2007.

Article discusses “The window of death” series of paintings, also features review of Open House’s 1974 Publication, ‘Vali Myers: drawings’.

• Norman, James. ‘Final dream of a bohemian priestess’ The Age, Periodical, Jan 18^th, 2003. Accessed 30^th Oct, 2011, <http://newsstore.theage.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=age&kw=vali+myers&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=10years&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=nrm&clsPage=1&docID=AGE0301184SL3K1IP1M7>.

The dying wish of an artist is for a place where her paintings, drawings and diaries can be displayed for the people of Victoria as written by James Norman. This article focuses on the life and her last interview from her hospital bed aged 72.Having left Melbourne in 1949, Myers did not return until 1993, when she decided to settle here permanently. Now she lies in an inner-city hospital, ill but still wearing her trademark thick kohl eye make-up and a flower in her fierce red hair.

"I'm dying of cancer, but I may have two months left," she says frankly. "It's over my whole stomach. I appreciated that they just told me (this) straight out, here at the hospital."

Myers is hoping to fulfil one final dream. She has bequeathed her entire life's work - hundreds of paintings, sketches and vivid coloured diaries - to the state of Victoria as a gift. She hopes to find a sponsor, whether private or government, to display the work in a Vali Myers House.

"I'm going to give all my remaining work to the people of Victoria," she said. "I love it here. It's just a lovely city - the people are great, no bullshit."

Categories: Australian art, women artists, Melbourne, art collection.