Wicked Women exhibition, Justice & Police Museum, Cnr Phillip & Albert sts, Circular Quay, Sydney.
The exhibition ran for over seven months, commencing 20 October 2012 and finishing 26th May 2013
When women go wrong men go right after them- Mae West
This series developed from Valadon’s term of artist-in-residence at the Sydney Justice & Police Museum commencing in 2009. Valadon became fascinated by the colourful, sexy and kitsch art of early to mid-20th-century pulp fiction and film noir. In Wicked Women she reimagines the idea of the ‘bad girl’, with contemporary women taking on the roles of the sinful sirens. The resulting 17 portraits capture the look of the original artworks but add a vibrant and playful element.
Each sitter – drawn from the entertainment, literary, legal and academic worlds, among others – chose a pulp fiction cover or poster and then replicated the pose of the wicked woman. Valadon then sketched, photographed and painted her portrait. In the process, she captured aspects of the sitter’s personality, subtly changing the intent of the original artwork - sexist becomes sexy.
Sitters include: Tara Moss, Prof Larissa Behrendt, Rachel Ward and Bryan Brown, Antonella Gambotto-Burke, Crown Prosecutors Margaret Cunneen, Kara Shead, Mark Tedeschi; Skye Leckie, Sonia Kruger and Todd McKenney, Essie Davis (Miss Fisher), World Queen of Burlesque Imogen Kelly, Annette Shun Wah, and Charles Waterstreet among others.
Opening speech by Prof Larissa Behrendt
‘Billion Dollar Bodies: The Rosemary Valadon Interview” by Antonella Gambotto-Burke
Wicked Women essay by Prue Gibson 2012
Media Release – Historic Houses Trust Pulp Depiction by Andrew Taylor
SMH Spectrum, the Age, and Brisbane Times Oct 13, 2012
The Lure of Wicked Women ABC Radio National, Jan 21 2013The Australian online photo gallery
published 19 October 2012
Wicked girls love brush with Infamy by Melissa Matheson
The Daily Telegraph October 19, 2012, The Australian Octoberr 19, 2012
MiSocietyWicked Women by Kate Britton
Alternative Media Group 22nd October 2012
Daily Telegraph online
Born to be Bad (Essie Davis) 2013 oil on canvas 152 x 122cm
Pay Off (Ros Reines & Charles Waterstreet) oil on canvas
New Year revelry (Imogen Kelly) oil on canvas 168 x 122 cm
She tried to be good (Margaret Cunneen with Mark Tedeschi) oil on canvas 168 x 122 cm
A Dame called Murder (Sonia Kruger & Todd McKenney) oil on canvas, 168 x 122 cm
She couldn't be good (Skye Leckie) oil on canvas 152 x 122 cm
Manhunt (Larissa Behrendt with Michael Lavarch) oil on canvas 183 x 122 cm
Good-knife sweetheart (Annette Shun Wah) oil on canvas 137 x 101 cm
Wild daughter of Satan (Antonella Gambotto-Burke) oil on canvas 112 x 101 cm
Murder by the Book – Tara Moss oil on canvas 112 x 137cm (Portia Geach Award 2010 finalist)
Gun Crazy – Kate Bruxner 2011 oil on canvas 153 x 101cm
Plaything of passion (Kara Shead) oil on canvas 168 x 122 cm
Pickup (Rachel Ward with Bryan Brown) oil on canvas 138 x 122 cm
Vengeance is mine (Essie Davis) oil on canvas 152 x 122 cm
The poisoner (Jedda-Daisy Culley) oil on canvas 122 x 101 cm
Billion dollar body (Holly Schulte) oil on canvas 168 x 122 cm
Schooled to kill (Tara Moss) oil on canvas 168 x 122 cm