Series 2: Artworks - original drawings by Vali Myers, 1970 - 2002

There are 40 major drawings in the collection. Each drawing may take up to a year or more to complete, using a fine English pen nib set onto a goose feather to create fine strokes of diluted Chinese ink, and watercolour on hand made Italian paper.The paper has the watermark of Ferdinando Amatruda, a papermill on the Amalfi Coast,founded in the Middle Ages. Most drawings are titled, signed and dated by Vali Myers. The drawings have been numbered in 2 sequences, as close to chronological date order as possible, and arranged by size: H2019.53/1-16A 1970-1997 LTFBOX/MYERS Box 1, H2019.292/1-24 1973-2001, LTFBOX/MYERS Box 2.

‘Wu man’ dated 1970, is the earliest drawing held, a portrait of Rudi Rappold with his white owl. Of note, the Archive holds the last drawing Vali Myers was working on before she died, titled ‘Holy Ghost’ H2019.53/14, 2001-2002.

The catalogue for the first major survey of her life and work ‘Vali Myers: Between the dusk and the dawn’ (Bundoora, La Trobe University, SLT 709.05074 M9929S) by Tracy Spinks has been consulted to identify major works where there was no assigned title on the work. Also 'Vali Myers Drawings: 1949-79' (London, Open House, 1980, AF 741.994 M99V), has a useful list of works and owners to 1979 p. 126-127, reproductions and Vali’s own writings about these early drawings which has also been invaluable.

Vali Myers oeuvre totals approximately 130 pen and ink works, all small in size. The Library does not hold any of the original early black and white drawings from the 1950s, which are mostly held in the private collection of George Plimpton, although there are reproductions of them in the Archive. Many of her original drawings are held in private collections including Australia, Holland and New York.

There are 5 works with light sketches on the reverse of a major drawing. These sketches have been annotated with an ‘A’ to uniquely number the sketch. Each drawing should have a corresponding tranparency in the transparency series.