Irene Walls

Hand Labyrinth

2011-11-13T22:10:00.001-08:00

This labyrinth is carved into a plank of driftwood from Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Like all labyrinths it has a single traceable path that leads from the external universe to the inner center of being.

Sea Glass Fish 2011

2011-07-18T00:45:00.000-07:00

Sea Glass Fish, 2011

600mmL x 150mmH x 100mmW

Hebel block, acrylic paint, cats-eye shell and sea glass.

Carved from one Hebel block. The sea glass I found at low tide around Balmain (inner Sydney Harbour.) The blue pieces are Victorian medicine bottles.

Lizard and Labyrinth

2011-05-02T23:15:00.000-07:00

18cm wide and 13cm high.

Metallic Acrylic, four blue Topaz, found lizard from the garden on canvas.

Daily Dog Art critic has his say.

2011-04-05T01:04:00.000-07:00

News flash from the Daily Dog: Brother Bob the Art Critic said
"Bobo's self portrait shows a remarkable lack of artistic talent. Francis Bacon he is not!"

The Brothers

2011-04-05T00:21:00.000-07:00

A pencil drawing of the brothers Bob and Bobo at the piano. Inspired by this painting by Renoir.

Ceramic Finger Labyrinth

2011-03-22T00:09:00.000-07:00

Ceramic Finger Labyrinth 2007

White and Red Earthernware

L 22cm

W 19 cm

D 3.5 cm

Sunday 20th March 2011. Traced the path of my finger labyrinth in memory of the people in Japan.

The work is framed at the top by beautiful Mitsuo Shoji ceramic platters.

Just Fish.

2011-03-21T23:49:00.000-07:00

Hebel Fish 2006

Cats eye Shell, Silver Leaf, Colours from ground natural Ocre.

L 60 cm

W 10 cm

H 20 cm

The ocre stones that I ground to colour this fish are from my large collection of found stones.
This is the ocre that the Australian aboriginals have used throughout the centuries for hand printing in caves and rock painting.

Bobo Bacon

2011-03-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

Remember Bobo's self portraits?

This portrait is painted by John Pearson channeling Bobo to paint in the style of Francis Bacon.

Here is the website for more of Bobos self portraits.

Read my hands

2011-03-07T22:19:00.000-08:00

Artist hands cast in Plaster of Paris. Painted with metallic acrylic paint.
Right hand: 10cm x 16cm x 2cm (on left in the photograph)
Left hand: 9cm x 14cm x 4cm (on right in the photograph)
This is the landscape of my hands.

Fleas rule.

2011-02-28T23:00:00.000-08:00

Did you know water-fleas have more genes than humans? 5 millimeters long, the water flea packs in more genes than any species yet sequenced. With 30,907 genes, Daphnia pulex has at least 5,000 more than humans!
Many newly evolved to help the fleas combat climatic changes and pollutants.

(New Scientist, January 22, 2011)

We can't do that can we?

Image from this fantastic website.

Slime mould and lettuce.

2011-02-28T22:54:00.000-08:00

These days and times people seem to have many eating problems.
Where does one draw the line between what we can or cannot eat on moral and philosophical grounds, pretentious allergies or maybe just wimpy?

I used to point out that no one thinks about the lettuce.
It's ripped out of the ground before it's had a chance to have babies.
Just because we cannot see their tears.....

As I was cleaning the bath with Ajax a new dilemma occurred to me. I am killing the happy farming slime moulds (or social Amoebas, as biologists now prefer to call them.)

Is there anything left that we can eat or kill when even a single celled creature is of such higher significance in the universe?

SINGLE CELL AMOEBAS FARM

2011-02-21T21:56:00.000-08:00

Slime moulds have added another skill to their impressive resume. They practice a primitive form of farming.

Slime moulds - or social amoebas, as biologist now prefer to call them - have been shown to find the shortest route through mazes and pick the most nutritious food from a buffet.

As single cells grazing on bacteria. When food is scarce, the amoebae clump together to migrate to better feeding grounds, and reproduce by forming a capsule full of spores.

Debra Brock of Rice University in Houston, Texas, noticed that a third of the strains always packaged bacteria along with their spores in the capsule. (Nature, DOI: 10.1038/nature09668).

This means they can "seed" a food crop when they colonize a new habitat.
"The farmers" even stop feeding before all the bacteria are gone to ensure there are some left to store as seed.

In contrast, the non farmers keep feeding to the bitter end, leaving no bacteria to package.

Bob Holmes New Scientist 22 January 2011

Read more about these fascinating social amoebas on my website Ireneosophy here.

Nothing without Belinda

2010-12-19T23:44:00.000-08:00

My choir Nothing without Belinda singing 'Because' at the A'Capella Festival at the Seymour Center in Sydney, Australia.

'Read my Shorts', captioned and signed film festival coming to Surry Hills

2010-10-18T19:04:00.000-07:00

A new short film festival in Surry Hills

Read-My Shorts

Six Short Films per night

Guest Speakers

Q & As with the “auteurs”

Audience choice spot prize

Critic's Choice Award goes into season filmmakers prize draw

Industry Panel chaired by legends Jolene Langman, IRENE WALLS, Martin Simpson and Tracy Savage.

7 – 9.30pm Mondays

ReadMyShorts @ Royal Albert Hotel,

140 Commonwealth St

Surry Hills Sydney

readmyshortsfilmfestival@gmail.com for entries and more info

BOBO

2010-07-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

My First Website!

Meet Bobo!

My first website created for my long time inspiration, Artist and friend John Pearson.

Click on Momo for Bobo's self Portraits:

The Howl

Picaso-esk

Chagalish

Lichtensteinish

and many more-ish!

Irene makes herself up Kabuki style

2010-02-15T03:44:00.000-08:00

Sculpture by the Sea 2010

2010-02-10T18:40:00.000-08:00

I am so inspired by labyrinths I have made a web site about them. This year I am hoping to build my next one in Mark's Park for Sculpture by the Sea.
And my Fishysaurus Rex sculpture which appears behind me in David Liddles fabulous photo here. would look fantastic in the Tamarama SLSC gallery.

The making of Venus + the Cat for 2010 MovieExtra Tropfest.

2010-01-17T20:13:00.000-08:00

This is the making of our 2010 movie entry in MovieExtra Tropfest.

The 4.44 minute production 'The Making of Venus + the Cat' I shot using a Sony HDV 1080 with a gun zoom microphone. My song, 'Our House Dreaming' is written and performed in GarageBand. The video is my first time editing using iMovie and it all was created on my MacBook.

Balmain Favourites 'My favourite place'

2010-01-03T19:11:00.000-08:00

Local photographer David Liddle took this great shot of me in my favourite space for the Balmain Association's photography show 'Balmain Favourites' on in the Balmain Watchhouse from December 2009 to January 2010.

From Mr. French to P.H.O.B.O.S..

2009-09-24T23:25:00.000-07:00

1968 LONDON

BBC Makeup School at Shepherds Bush. (That's me on the far right.)

Hairdressing class with Mr. French who was 82 years old and taught us hairstyles ranging from period to modern.

Above photos by Rob Walls

2009 SYDNEY

P.H.O.B.O.S. a gothic horror romance feature film. Shot in May 2009 at Callan Park.

The villain, Kyle Rowling, and his victim, Belinda Crawley.

Another of his victims, Jennifer King.

A ghost of love past, Stef Dawson

A ghost of love present, Belinda again.

Our harrassed heroine, Kylie Watson.

Makeup and hair designed and created by Irene Walls.
Photos by Irene Walls.

The movie P.H.O.B.O.S. was written and directed by Martin Simpson.
It is presently in post-production.

BABE ON A BEAM

2009-07-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

This is the cutest iPhone game in the world. Martin Simpson thought it up and developed it. Check out the trailer.

Archie's first few months

2009-05-10T18:36:00.000-07:00

Our choir (Nothing Without Belinda) has a baby, Archie. He's so cute. He has already performed in the choir. Here's a link to a slideshow of his first few months, accompanied by some of our songs:
Archie's first few months

BLOOD, SWEAT & TEETH

2008-11-22T16:56:00.000-08:00

This short film I made a while back won Most Disturbing Movie at the Honolulu Underground Film Festival. Chris is so afraid of the dentist, that he decides to take his decayed teeth out at home, using ordinary handyman tools like a drill and pliers, and a breadknife. The results are sometimes scary and often hilarious.

BRAINS book launch

2008-11-14T00:06:00.000-08:00

Dr Martin Simpson talks about his latest release, the pulp fiction novel BRAINS, a deliciously trashy hospital thriller. If this is the state of our hospitals, please don't let me get sick.

THE FYRES

2008-11-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

Here's another video of ours. A tale of jealousy and hellfire with a great fire eating performance.

IT'S ALL IN THE MIND

2008-11-06T23:45:00.000-08:00

The home psychiatry channel is here to help

This week's subject Krystal Klea thinks she's an alien. Dr Karl thinks she's insane. But who is right? And how good is alien sex?

Vermin

2008-10-23T23:07:00.001-07:00

The movie that moved vermin to the front of your imagination. Hilarious short movie that shows the real power in the kitchen is not down the drain but in your face.

Sculpture Artist brings relief to you

2008-10-18T15:33:00.000-07:00

'Three Flying dicks' is a ceramic wall relief that takes a ribald dig at the 'Three Flying Ducks' wall hangings which were a standard feature of every suburban house in the nineteen fifties. Measuring 26 cm (10.5 inches) wide x 15 cm (6 inches) high in bright glazed ceramic, this work of art featured on your wall will make a fascinating talking point.

To secure one of the few remaining examples of this edition, contact the artist at irenewalls@gmail.com

The greeting card to keep in touch

2008-10-16T22:51:00.000-07:00

'Flying Dicks' by Irene Walls is the right card for every occasion (well maybe not for granny's birthday - but then again...)
Only $7.99 plus GST + postage.
Card comes complete with sequin lips in coloured envelopes.

email me at irenewalls@gmail.com to order.

Love, Irene

Labyrinth

2008-09-26T00:12:00.000-07:00

This is a slip-cast mold I made.

Read more about labyrinths here

coco

2008-09-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

Nicolai Poliakoff
the first Coco

coco

coconut

Ceramic wall hangings by Irene. Link to my clown site: CLOWNS

My new work

2008-09-11T23:08:00.001-07:00

This bluebird mobile is made of sheet metal on black bamboo hangers cut from my garden.

spinoza buddha the doctor

2008-09-11T22:35:00.000-07:00

photo of John Pertwee as Dr Who by Rob Walls

my heroes!

Jeremy and Teapot

2008-08-29T00:07:00.000-07:00

This movie, made by Briann in 1976, ran for 25 minutes and won Best Film 1982 Womancraft International Film and Video Festival. Tucson, USA.
I was the makeup artist and also acted as a fairy on roller skates. Plus sound effects.

International Womans Day 1975

2008-08-29T00:04:00.000-07:00

In this documentary by Briann, I participated giving my opinion 0n how I felt being a woman at that time.
I also did the makeup on Leona who also spoke.

Pino - The ghost women who dances

2008-08-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

In this radio play I played the lead, Pino. I am the Ghost Woman!

Solo Exhibition of sculpture and painting

2008-06-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

MY PHALLOSOPHY.

This exhibition is called 'Castings and Gleanings' and is an overview of my work from 1988 to the present day.

Gleanings refers to my use of found objects such as feathers, insects, beach glass, driftwood, stones and shells in my work.

Some of the works are coloured with pigments ground from ochre stones. There are paintings, pastels, sculptures and wall hangings in the exhibition.

The castings referred to are bronzes and slip cast ceramics based on three molds; a mask, a nude figure, and a take on the suburban icon of three flying ducks - a group of three flying 'dicks'.

I think the phallus is a taboo icon in our society yet in other cultures, for example Japanese and Bhutanese society, it is a revered and respected image for its evocation of the procreative spirit. I have given my penii wings, a kind of angelic interpretation of the image, and have since been interested to discover similar winged phalluses are to be found on the walls of ancient Greek frescoes and Egyptian tombs thousands of years old. The image clearly is an archtypal one, alluded to as such in the writings of Carl Jung.

In this varied and fascinating exhibition, I meld the psychoanalytic with the suburban in humorous homage to the ceramic wall hangings of the nineteen fifties, but there is a philosophy, or should I say phallosophy, behind my subversive interpretations.

Solo Exhibition

November 12-17, 2002

Michael Commerford Gallery

16 McLachlan Ave.

Rushcutters Bay NSW Australia

Artist's Biography

Sometime builder's labourer, musican and writer but always artist, Irene Walls derives her constant inspiration from found objects in nature. Gathering a history cast before her by wind, sea and time, she constructs an uncompromising world of loss, whose gain is in the philosophical and intellectual realm. In the detritus of the past she finds keys to decisions about the future of a world we need reason to treasure.

Born in Amsterdam during the Holocaust, Irene came to Australia at the age of fifteen as one of the great influx of post World War 2 boat people that began the multicultural redevelopment of Australia .

In her long and varied artistic journey since sculpture has always been her passion. Even during her early career as BBC trained make-up artist working on such classics as the TV series Dr Who, the Hollywood production 'Blue Lagoon' with Brooke Shields and the seminal Australian film 'Newsfront', Irene's on-location collection of found objects became a source of much fascination for cast and crew.

By the mid 1980's she had moved full time into sculpture and painting, teaching at the EORA Aboriginal College for the Visual and Performing Arts. In the bi-centennial year of 1988, she sculpted 'The Muses' in consultation with the cartoonist Bruce Petty, painted a section of the Pitt Street Sydney Mural and brought to life with colour a giant animatronic flying watermelon in the 'First State '88 Exhibition'.

During the 1990's Irene pioneered the use of Hebel block as a sculpting material, colouring her works (often the sinuous forms of native lizards) with natural ochres from her found collection.

From sculpture she moved into mold making and bronze casting. The art of molding led her into ceramics and her most recent works develope this strand of her talents.

The works in her latest exhibition are gleaned from examples of her output over the past decade or more and cover a wide range of materials and techniques. The artisan attention to technical discipline in the work powers the pieces with impeccable surface and the dramatic subtlety for which she is renowned.

In celebration of nature, Irene finds delight in the power and mischief of the reproductive instincts, promoting the harmonious possibilities of human existence, whilst alluding to the tensions beneath.

This exhibition explores the yin-yang, light-heaviness of being. It resonates with the vibrant warmth and unique intelligence of the artist's life view.

Nothing without Belinda

2008-04-13T23:46:00.000-07:00

I am also a member of the famous Sydney acapella choir 'Nothing without Belinda'

That is me in the front with the red hair!

This beautiful song is called 'El Peublo'

We have a CD out called 'Waterloo Tuesdays'.
Email us for a copy at markdas@hotmail.com

A Capella singing

2008-04-13T23:41:00.000-07:00

Here we are in Canberra at the National Folk Festival Easter 2008 singing (a bit of) 'Mrval'

We have a CD out called 'Waterloo Tuesdays'.
Email us for a copy at markdas@hotmail.com

irene walls art works 03 08

2008-03-19T13:29:00.001-07:00

life with a cat

2008-03-19T00:59:00.000-07:00

Pwooyam

2008-03-19T00:14:00.000-07:00

Is the name of our house and I painted it in the window. It means sleeping lizard in the Eora language of the Aboriginals from the Sydney Area.

Gene-X

2008-02-10T20:34:00.001-08:00

Young research doctor Tom Gray is on the brink of a genetic cure for cancer. Nurse Casey Gordon, desperate to save the life of a child in her care, seduces Tom into testing his therapy. But is the cure worse than the disease? And how many deaths will the cover-up cost?
Have a look at a great preview here:http://www.gene-x-movie.com/

For full credits on this film see Australian Film Commisssion

Blood, Sweat and Teeth

2008-02-10T20:33:00.004-08:00

Mockumentary - directed by Irene Walls and written by Chris Piper. Additional footage, editing, and special effects by Martin Simpson.

Lars, whose fear of the dentist has driven him to home remedies, taking us through a black comedic lesson in denial, hygiene, using handyman drill, pliers and breadknife.

The Fyres

2008-02-10T20:33:00.003-08:00

The female half of a club act begins a relationship with her stage manager and finds she is playing with fire.
For full credits on this film see Australian Film Commisssion

Irene's film credits

2008-02-10T20:33:00.001-08:00

Irene has helped produce:
Blood, Sweat and Teeth
The Fyres
Gene-X

She has also helped direct:

Blood, Sweat and Teeth
The Fyres

And written:
Blood, Sweat and Teeth
The Fyres

For full credits on these films see Australian Film Commisssion

Meet Irene

2008-02-05T15:58:00.000-08:00

Born in Amsterdam during the holocaust, Irene came to Australia at the age of fifteen as one of the great influx of post- World War Two boat people that began the great multicultural development of this country. In her long and varied artistic journey since then, sculpture has always remained her passion. Even during her early career as BBC trained make-up artist working on such classics as the TV series DR WHO, the Hollywood production BLUE LAGOON with Brooke Shields, and the seminal Australian film NEWSFRONT, Irene's on-location collections of found objects became a source of much fascination for cast and crew.

By the mid 1980's she had moved full time into sculpting and painting, teaching at the EORA Aboriginal College for the Visual and Performing Arts. In the Bi-centennial year of 1988, she sculpted the MUSES in consultation with the cartoonist Bruce Petty, painted a section of the Pitt St mural, and brought to life with colour a giant animatronic flying watermelon in the First State '88 Exhibition.. During the '90's Irene pioneered the use of Hebel block as a sculpting material, colouring her works (often in the sinuous curves of native lizards) with natural ochres from her found collection of stones.

From sculpture she moved naturally into mold making and bronze casting. The techniques of mold-making led her to ceramics, and her most recent works develop this strand of her talents.
In celebration of nature, Irene Walls' work promotes the harmonious possibilities of human existence in a world where all living things are treated with universal compassion, and the interweaving of all lives is a constant revelation.