Vali Myers: A Memoir [Hardcover]

Gianni Menichetti (Author), Theodore Shroetter (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2007

The Australian artist, Vali Meyers, was a legend in her own time. Premiere danseuse of the Melbourne Modern Ballet at seventeen, she left home and spent ten years in Paris, living much of the time on the streets but never ceasing to draw. Ed van der Elskin famously put her on the cover of his Love on the Left Bank, that manifesto of Paris in the 1950's and her work was praised by George Plimpton in his Paris Review. Then, saying good-bye to all that, she spent forty years in semi-seclusion in a wild canyon in Italy, where she continued producing her minute, mystical, and passionate drawings. Tough as nails, she fought the local authorities who wanted to introduce loggers into the valley, after a long struggle succeeding in having it designated an Environmental Oasis. Finally, Vali returned triumphant to her native Melbourne, where she was recognized as an artist sui generis. In this brilliant memoir by her friend and lover, Gianni Menichetti, her art, times, and personality come through unforgettably.

Editorial Reviews

Review

You saw in her eyes the personalization of something torn and loose and deep down primitive in all of us. --George Plimpton, The Paris Review

Valis dogs, Vali's tress, Vali's donkey, the birds, the flowers, the caves, the spiders of Vali. We have seen for the first time the old skeleton of nature. --Bernardo Bertolucci, film-maker, Last Tango in Paris, Stealing Beauty

Vali Myers ... lived her life without fear. --Julia Inglis, author, The Heavy Dress

About the Author

For thirty years, Gianni Menichetti, the author of this memoir, lived with Vali Meyers in the wild canyon of 'Il Porto' - first as a lover and willing slave, ultimately as a friend, confidant, and protector. In his frank, loving and fascinating book, he gives us Vali and the Valley. Gianni Menichetti is an artist and poet, whose work is represented in numerous private collections in Europe, America, and Australia. He has received three distinguished awards at the international 'Gypsy Friend' Arts Competition, Lanciano, Italy. His books include The Land of Kali, A Tree of Tatters, and Poems to the Gypsies, as well as Il Porto, storia di un canyon selvaggio, (in English and Italian) and Storie di cani (in Italian). He still lives in Il Porto, in the little Moorish pavilion he shared with Vali for so many years.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 244 pages
• Publisher: The Golda Foundation; 1st edition (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978560604
• ISBN-13: 978-0978560607
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #570,597 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An extraordinary artist, a timeless love story., January 19, 2008

By 

Lina Eve (Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vali Myers: A Memoir (Hardcover)

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.

Those who know Vali's art work, know it is totally unique, as she was.
This sensitive memoir by Gianni, reminds me of Vincent van Gogh's sister in law and her son, fighting to have Vincent's paintings recognized for years after his death, so future generations could enjoy them. So too Vali will live on, in her paintings and in this wonderful book.

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, its 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.

In 2009 I visited Gianni at the pavilion home he shared with Vali near Positano, Italy Vali's battle to keep the wild canyon safe from developers, has become Gianni's battle. We had a lot of fun filming there, which resulted in a short video on youtube called.
"His Savage Mistress" with Gianni's art and poetry and his tales of living with Vali. You can also find Gianni's website on Google for more photos and stories about him and Vali.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars review, Vali Myers : A Memoir, July 9, 2009

By 

Richard J. Clancy "Shirley Clancy" (Perth, Western Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vali Myers: A Memoir (Hardcover)

Vali Myers: A Memoir, Written by Vali's sometime lover and lifelong friend Gianni Menichetti was a wonderful read that bought both smiles and tears.
Vali and Gianni are very special people and the world could do with more of their kind. Artists , animal lovers and of course very early environmentalists who brave hardships and sometimes ridicule to save The Valley,Il Porto and the wildlife that lives there. It is a joy to be able to get a peek at their lives together and apart over such a long time but I would have loved more photos of them, the animals, the Valley and their art.
As a fellow Australian and artist I would hope that Vali's artwork will someday get to be seen in a permanent collection in Melbourne and I am sorry that I did not get to see her studio when I was last there and would like to know what has happened to it all. Shirley Clancy , Western Australia.This book was bought as a gift from my husband.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a touching memoir, January 30, 2009

By 

Rowan Hagen (Australia) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vali Myers: A Memoir (Hardcover)

Gianni Menichetti's story of living with and loving Vali Myers is presented as more of a fireside tale then a researched and ordered memoir. This is, perhaps, as Vali would have told it herself. Facets of light and darkness are revealed in turn, each one showing another aspect of her remarkable life. I was left with the feeling that even now she she is still a powerful influence in the author's life. This is a beautifully-presented book, with many B&W and colour plates. Those who already love Vali's work and are inspired by her life will not be disappointed, nor will those who are meeting her for the first time.