Vali Myers

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Recorded at home - full moon February, 1997.

Vali Myers RIP 2pm Wednesday February 12, 2003.

I have always been intrigued to find out more about Australian born artist Vali Myers. An excellent documentary made by Ruth Cullen - Tightrope Dancer in the early '90s introduced Vali to an Australian audience who had been unaware of this national treasure.

Tightrope Dancer traced the incredible life of Vali Myers: having left Australia after WW2 at the age of 19 to live in Paris to work as a dancer & artist. Ravaged by "good & bad times" Vali found solice in the hills of Positano, Italy. Where for more than 35 years she has used her cage as a base to travel to the USA and Europe selling her work.

Vali recovered and recouperated in "the valley" surrounded by her beloved dogs, foxes, owls, chickens, goats, wildlife and plants.

It was a real thrill for me to hookup with Vali on the phone. Yes, she has a phone but still after all this time no electricity. She works night after night by the light of a gas burner, using a fine English pen nib set onto a goosefeather, carefully diluted Chinese ink, gold leaf and watercolour onto hand-made paper.

I had been looking for Vali in New York, & Italy. Not having realised Vali had returned 'home' some 2 years ago to start up her studio in Melbourne. Ahhh the white pages ask for Vali Myers studio why didn't I think of that!

Well, I found the studio - 7th floor / 37 Swanston Street, Melbourne - (03) 96504014 only to discover Vali had fled the heat of the Australian summer to return to Il Porto her wildlife oasis in Italy. Now protected by the World Wildlife Organization Vali funds the project from the sale of her works.


If you have never seen the intricate line drawings of Vali Myers (on her tattoed face or paper) you really should track down the book Vali Myers 1st published 1980 by Open House (with an introduction by George A. Plimpton) or as she says with much enthusiasm "tell 'em to visit the studio love"!


I shall! I hope you enjoy the sound vignettes of this remarkable woman. As she says she has always been her own person: & reflects an intimacy with her work and the wildlife she protects that I greatly admire. In memory of her dogs she tattoes their names on her right foot and includes them and her beloved foxes in many of her drawings.

I only wish I could afford her work. In an over inflated and sometimes fickle art world the price of her work truly reflects her genius and discipline.

This work has been reproduced with the kind permission of the artist - under no circumstances please copy or duplicate the work from this site. Vali Myers retains all copyright ©.