Wicked Women (2011-2014)

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 2013 The 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 MiSociety Wicked Women by Kate Britton Alternative Media Group 22nd October 2012 Daily Telegraph online