# Pamela Irving

Pamela Irving (born 1960) is an Australian visual artist specialising in bronze, ceramic and mosaic sculptures as well as printmaking and copper etchings. In addition to her extensive art work, Irving has lectured in art and ceramics at Monash University, the Melbourne College of Advanced Education, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) and the Chisholm Institute of Technology. One of Australia's newspaper art critics, she wrote for the Geelong Advertiser and was a councillor on the Craft Council of Victoria.

## Education

Born in Victoria, Australia, Irving was formally educated at the Melbourne State College (1979–1982) where she undertook a Bachelor of Education (Art/Craft) and she completed a Master of Arts degree by research at the Melbourne College of Advanced Education. Supervised by Professor Noel John Flood, (ceramicist and the Head of Ceramics Department), Irving was one of the first two candidates to be approved to undertake the Master of Arts Degree in Visual Arts in what was, at that time, the Melbourne CAE.
Irving's thesis for her master's degree examined 'the reasons and meaning behind the presence and mythology imagery in the works of Arthur Boyd, John Perceval and Mirka Mora (those artists being nominated because of the relevance to my own work)'.

## Style and influences

Pascoe observes that Irving's work is derived from 'a mixture of personal experience, myth and virulent imagination'. Hammond has described Irving's early ceramic work as 'humorous, figurative and cheerfully contemptuous of pottery traditions.
Irving's early art was influenced by artists including Arthur Boyd, John Brack, Noel Connihan, Mirka Mora, Sidney Nolan and John Perceval. In recent years, Irving has been influenced ″by the honest and direct expressiveness of ‘outsider art’ (the art of self-taught or 'naive artists') and the craft of 'memoryware'″ Significantly, this interest grew following Irving's visit to Nek Chand's Rock Garden in Chandigarh, India.

## Notable work

Irving's most famous work is the bronze sculpture of Larry La Trobe, commissioned in 1992 as a part of the Swanston Street redevelopment in Melbourne, and stolen by a thief or thieves unknown during 1995. The resulting media attention rallied significant public support for the recovery of the sculpture. Although never recovered, the statue was recast by the foundry owner, Peter Kolliner, with some minor changes by Irving and was replaced in September 1996. The Larry sculpture is located at the corner of Swanston Street and Collins Street, Melbourne.
Another notable commission is a large mosaic mural covering the Luna Palace building inside Melbourne's Luna Park. This large scale public artwork was commissioned for the centenary of Luna Park and took four years to complete.

## Professional associations

Active in mosaic art in Australia, Irving served as a councillor on the Craft Council of Victoria during the 1980s and became vice-president of the Mosaic Association of Australia and New Zealand between 2007 - 2017.

## Exhibitions

Between 1981 and 2018, Irving took part in 27 solo exhibitions, 16 joint exhibitions and more than 100 group exhibitions.
Solo
* 2024 Waste Not want Not Crew, Maroondah Federation Estate Gallery
* 2019 : YOLO Man Waltzes Matilda, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Blarney Books + Art + Pamela Irving Studio + Gallery
* 2018: Yolo Man and His Apocalyptic Alphabet, Deakin University Art Gallery
* 2017: “Irreverent Tales” City of Whitehorse, Artspace Gallery
* 2017 “Dream Out Loud” @ Without Pier Gallery
* 2015 “Ballarat Bestiary” CONTAINART exhibition, City of Ballarat.
* 2015 “ Yolo Man and His Apocalyptic Alphabet: The Chicago Suite”, Gallery of Contemporary Mosaics, Chicago.
* 2015 “Doggeral Dreams” Gallery on Sturt, Ballarat
* 2014 “Doggeral Dreams” Montsalvat Gallery, Melbourne.
* 2011 “Dreaming with Open Eyes”, Light Factory Gallery
* 2004-2006 “Treading the Boards” Shepparton Art Museum, Geelong Art Gallery, Ballarat Art Gallery
* 1997 “A Decade of Images” Lyall Burton Gallery
* 1995 “Tabloid Royals”, Holdsworth Gallery, Sydney,
** “Tabloid Royals” Bendigo Art Gallery,
** “Tabloid Royals” Shepparton Art Museum
* 1993 “Ned Kelly’s Last Supper”,Artefact, Melbourne
* 1993 “Sincerely Yours”Holdsworth Gallery, Sydney
* 1991 “Love, Myth & Suffering” Caulfield Arts Complex
* 1991 “Canine Companions” No Vacancy 189 Collins St Melbourne
* 1990 “Perfect Pets”Holdsworth Gallery, Sydney
* 1988 “A Divine Comedy” Holdsworth Gallery, Sydney
** “A Divine Comedy” Despard Street Gallery,Hobart
* 1987 “Images of Angels” Gryphon Gallery, Melbourne
* 1986 “Ceramic Sculpture” Holdsworth Gallery, Sydney
* 1983 “Ceramic Sculpture” Profile Gallery, Melbourne
* Joint Exhibitions:
* 2024 Memoryware + New Narratives Riggs & Irving Exhibition as part of NGV’s Design Week.
* 2019: “Savage Liaisons” AMI + IRVING, Gallery of Ciontemporary Mosaics, Chicago + SOFA Chicago
* 2016 “Savage Curiosities” Karen Ami + Pamela Irving GoCM Chicago September-October
* 2003 “REFLUXUS” Motor Works Gallery, Melbourne Grammar.
* 2002 “REFLUXUS” – Bendigo Art Gallery, Maroondah Art Gallery
* 2001 “Serious Humour” Volvo Gallery Sydney Irving + Shimmen
* 2001 “Sense & Serendipity” Montsalvat. Irving, Shimmen & Hicks
* 2000 “Memoryware” Irving & Shimmen Adelaide Central Gallery
* 1998 “Byte The Invisible Future” Shimmen & Irving Despard Gallry, Tasmania
* 1991 “The Bride Stripped Bare” Irving & Lourie, Blaxand Gallery Melbourne
* 1988 “ Wiggs and Irving”, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
* 1987 “Body to Body” Irving & Flood Devise Gallery Melbourne
* 1984 “Sheer Madness” Irving, Halpern & Shearer, Gryphon Gallery
* 1981 “Two of a Kind” John & Pamela Irving, Eltham Gallery, Melbourne
Group Exhibitions:
* 2024 “Equalessable” Artbank Sydney Window
* 2023 “Sets, Series and Ensembles” Gallery of Contemporary Mosaic, Chicago
* 2023 “All Creatures” Gallery of Contemporary Mosaic Chicago
* 2023 “Twenty Five” Whitehorse ARTSPACE
* 2023 “Stories from Council’s Art Collection” Glen Eira City Council curated exhibition.
* 2022 “Sage Advice for the Serious Young Artist” Whitehorse Art Space
* 2022 “Maetros” Gallery of Contemporary Mosaics, Chicago, works by Irving, Kii, MacInnes, Marzi + Zanelli
* 2021 “Flying Masks” Maison de la Mosaïque Contemporaine, Paray-le- Monial, France
* 2021 “Victorian Sculpture Awards” Gippsland Regional Art Gallery
* 2021 MSWPS Members Exhibition (Virtual due to Covid)
* 2021 “Breaking Ground” Gallery of Contemporary Mosaics, Chicago
* 2021 “Deakin University Small Sculpture Award” 2021 Deakin University Gallery
* 2020: MSWPS (Melbourne Society of Women Painters + Sculptors) Members Exhibition. (Virtual Due to COVID)
* C-/O CARE @ Craft + Design Centre Canberra, ACT
* 2019 : Contemporary Women Painters, invitational exhibition Hunan Province, China
* 2019 TRANSITIONS Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, NSW
* 2018 “AIMC” St Nicholas Church, Paray le Monial, France
* 2018 “Text” SOFA, Chicago + Gallery of Contemporary Mosaics.
* 2018: “The Marks They Make” Gallery of Contemporary Mosaics, Chicago
* 2018: “Debut” Gallery of Contemporary Mosaics, Chicago, USA
* 2018: TRANSITIONS, joint show with Bremner, Butler, Hughes + Bodycomb Craft + Design Centre, Canberra
* 2017: Mosaic Exhibition At Mawsons Pavillion, Tasmania with Bremner, Bodycomb, Edwards + Irving
* 2017 : SOFA Chicago with Gallery of Contemporary Mosaics, Chicago
* 2017 “Art in Pieces”, International Mosaic Exhibition, City Gallery, Lexington Kentucky, USA
* 2017  “Collective Visions:130 Years” Bendigo Art Gallery
* 2016 – 2017 The Stories We Tell, Gallery of Contemporary Mosaics, Chicago
* 2017 “Coolart @ Coolart” Gallery organised by Without Pier Gallery
* 2016 Kyoto Mosaic Exhibition, Shimadai Gallery Kyoto
* 2016 “Works on Paper” Without Pier Gallery, Melbourne.
* 2016 Mount View Art Show (Guest Artist)
* 2016 Highlights from the Ceramics Victoria Collection, Whitehorse Arts Space.
* 2016 OCGA Art Exhibition + Sale
* 2016 “MOSAIC: AIMC in the Contemporary World” Palazzo Tadea, Spilimbergo, Italy.
* 2016 “A Passover Story” Museum of Biblical Arts, Dallas Texas
* 2015 “Works on Paper 2”, WG Art Consultants.
* 2015 “Bibliomosaico” Biennale de Mosaique d’Obernai Municipality of Obernai, France
* 2015 + 2016 “Mosaics Abroad” Exhibition of 11 International Artists, Touring Japan for 12        months
** Yokohama Civic Art Gallery Azamino, Yokohama in Kanagawa
** Tajimi Art Gallery “Gallery Voice” Tajimi in Gifu
** Gallery in Sekigahara Marble Craft, Sekigahara in Gifu
** ORIE Art Gallery, Minat-ku in Tokyo
** Grande Magazzino “Isetan”, Shinjuku in Tokyo
* 2015 Mount View Art Show, (Guest Artist)
* 2015 Our Kaleidoscope of Colour and Culture, Lauriston Art Exhibition 2015, Leonard Joels
* 2014 “Bibliomosaico National Library of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
* 2014 “Works on Paper 1”, WG Art Consultants
* 2014 OCGA Art Exhibition + Sale
* 2013 Mosaic Exhibition, Bundoora Hoestead
* 2013 “Bibliomosaico” Edizioni del Girasole, Ravenna, Italy
* 2013 Mosaik Yarismasi, Gaziantep Museum, Gaziantep, Republic of Turkey
* 2013 Illuminate National Biennial Mosaic Exhibition, Bundoorah Homestead
* 2012 Lasallian Foundation Fine Art Charity Auction @ Menzies
* 2012 OCGA Art Exhibition
* 2009 “The Artist and the Mosaic Exhibition” opened 1st April in Moscow’s Schusev State Museum for Architecture, Moscow.Russia.
* 2006 Mosaic Art Now Bundoora Homestead, (Artists from Spilimbergo, Italy + Australia)
* 2006 OGCA Exhibition
* 2003 “The Guitar Festival Show” Cube 37
* 2003 “The Synthetic Show” Yarra Sculpture Gallery
* 2003 May Exhibition, Manyung Gallery
* 2002 “Councillors Choice”, Maroondah Art Gallery
* 2002“Refluxus” Bendigo Art Gallery
* 2002 “Refluxus” Maroondah Federation Estate
* 2002 “Children’s Book Illustrations” Custom’s House Gallery, Warnambool
* 2002 “Clay At Montsalvat” Montsalvat Gallery
* 2002 “Friends For Craft”, Steps Gallery
* 2002 “A Baroque Christmas” Despard Gallery, Hobart2001 “In Door Out Door” Mira Art Gallery
* 2001 “Creative Madness” Volvo Gallery Sydney.
* 2001 The Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show, Garry Mc Ewan Exhibit.
* 2001-2002 “Art Horses: Phar Larry”. Museum Victoria, Caulfield Race Course. Geelong Art Gallery, Melbourne Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne Flower Show
* 2000 “The Art of Living” Sotheby’s Melbourne
* 2000 “The Exquisite Corpse” Bendigo Art Gallery, Monash Art Gallery,Swan Hill Regional Gallery Ararat Regional Gallery.
* 2000 “Art Animals” Walker St Gallery, Dandenong, Switchback Gallery, Monash University. Ararat Regional Gallery
* 1999 “Australian Book Illustration Show,” Customs House Gallery
* 1999 “Artsville- The Big Shed in the Bush” Fryerstown, Victoria
* 1999 “Contemporary Clay” Biennial Exhibition Cowwar Art Space Gippsland
* 1999-2003 “ We Are Australian” Victorian Arts Centre, Volvo Gallery Sydney, Adelaide Festival Centre, Canberra Museum &Art Gallery, New England Regional Art Museum, Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery, Albury Wodonga Regional Art Gallery, State Library of Queensland, Latrobe Regional Art Gallery., Immigration Museum Melbourne.
* 1999 “Craft Victorian Auction” Deutscher Menzies Gallery
* 1999 “ST Kilda Festival” Art in Windows Show
* 1998 “Sydney Myer Fund International Ceramics Award” Shepparton
* Art Gallery
* 1998 “The Fabulous Brooch Show”, Meat Market Craft Centre.
* 1998 “Picture This”, Customs House Gallery, Warnambool
* 1998 “The Cask An Aussie Icon,” National Gallery of Victoria, Toowoomba Arts Centre
* 1998 “Raining Cats and Dogs”, Despard Gallery, Hobart
* 1997 “Ici un bout du monde, here, one corner of the world” The Alliance Francais, Canberra
* 1997 “The Match Box Show” Grand Central Art, Melbourne
* 1997 “New and Gallery Artists” Lyall Burton Gallery
* 1997 “Despard Christmas Show”, Despard Gallery, Hobart
* 1996 “The Bowl Show” Crowded House Design, Melbourne
* 1996 “Ici un bout du monde, here one corner of the world” The Gentilly Biennale, Paris
* 1995 “Dreamtime ‘96” Power House Museum, Sydney
* 1995 “Sidney Myer Fund. Australia Day Ceramic Award 1995?Shepparton Arts Centre
* 1995 “Oceania Stage Trade Fair Kyushu ‘95? Japan
* 1995 City of Glen Eira Artists Award Caulfield Arts Complex
* 1994 “Australian Contemporary Art Fair Exhibition Building Melbourne
* (Represented by Holdsworth Gallery, Sydney)
* 1994 “Celebrating Women: The Domain of the Other”, National Gallery, Victoria
* 1994 “Travesties of Art”, Blaxland Gallery Myer Melbourne
* 1994 “Objects of Desire” Caulfield Arts Complex
* 1994 “Caulfield Artists Award” Caulfield Arts Complex
* 1994 ” New Import Showcase Fair Osaka, Japan
* 1993 “Australia Day Ceramic Award Exhibition” Shepparton Art Centre
* 1993 “The Love Show”, Blaxland Gallery, Myer Melbourne
* 1992 “Australia Day Ceramic Award Exhibition” Shepparton Art Centre
* 1992 “International Women’s Day exhibition window” No Vacancy, 189 Collins Street, Melbourne.
* 1992 James Street Gallery, Group Exhibition.
* 1992 “Art Imitating Life”,Irving. Flood, Strizic, Hammerstingl. Caulfield Arts Centre
* 1991 “Art Angels” Blaxland Gallery, Melbourne
* 1991 “Irving & Irving:Past and Present” World of Art Gallery, Melbourne
* 1991 “Australia Day Ceramic Award Exhibition” Shepparton Art Centre
* 1991 “The Clothesline Trail” Front of National Gallery, Victoria
* 1990 “Contemporary Australian Arts Fair” Exhibition Buildings,Melbourne
* (represented by Holdsworth Gallery, Sydney)
* 1990 “Southlawn Sculpture Exhibition” Melbourne University
* 1989 “Rare II” Artery Gallery, Geelong
* 1989 “Bricks & Beyond” Brickworks, Tasmania
* 1988 “Canada/Australia Art Exchange” Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Winter Olympics)
* Toured Canada and North America
* 1988 “R.M.I.T. Ceramic Staff” R.M.I.T. Gallery
* 1988 “Australian Crafts” Meat Market Craft Centre
* 1988 “Bricks & Beyond”* The Design Centre, Hobart,* Cockatoo Gallery, Hobart,
* * The Sheraton Hotel,* Brisbane Expo. Tasmanian Pavilion
* 1988 “Sausage Sizzle” Gryphon Gallery Melbourne College of Advanced Education
* 1988 “Osewold, Wilke, Irving & Wiggs” QDOS Gallery, Lorne
* 1988 “Australian Sculpture” Beaver Galleries, Canberra
* 1989 “Bricks & Beyond” Brickworks, Tasmania
* 1987 “Group Show” Tim Hogan Fine Art
* 1987 “Survey 8: Cuthbertson, Rowe, Irving & Kemp” Geelong Art Gallery
* 1987 “Introduction to Sculpture” Healesville Arts Centre
* 1987 “Australian Ceramic Sculptors” Distelfink Gallery
* 1987 “Deakin University Acquisition Exhibition” Deakin University
* 1985 “Australian Crafts” Meat Market Craft Centre
* 1985 “City of Footscray Prize Exhibition” Footscray Town Hall
* 1985 “Ten Victorian Ceramicists” R.M.I.T. Gallery
* 1985 “4th National Ceramics Conference Speakers Exhibition” University of Melbourne
* 1985 “Victorian Ceramic Sculptors” Profile Gallery
* 1985 Card Games: Flood, Hearn, Spurrier & Irving” Studio Gallery, Tasmania
* 1984 “Fifth Anniversary Exhibition” Profile Gallery
* 1984 “Victorian Ceramic Group” Caulfield Arts Centre
* 1984 “Current Visions in Intimate Sculpture” Profile Gallery
* 1982 “Victorian Ceramic Group”Caulfield Arts Centre
* 1982 “Limited Containers” Gryphon Gallery, Melbourne
* 1982 “Graduate Exhibition” Chrysalis Gallery
* 1982 “Walker Ceramic Awards” Caulfield Arts Centre
* 1981”The Sentiment is Genuine” Gryphon Gallery, Melbourne

## Collections

Irving's work is held in the following collections:

### Museums and galleries

* Museum Victoria
* Collezione Mosaici Moderni
* University of Melbourne including Trinity College
* Deakin University
* Australian Catholic University
* Burnie College of TAFE, Tasmania
* Artbank
* Melbourne City Council
* Shepparton Art Gallery
* Bendigo Art Gallery
* Colac Otway Shire
* Footscray City Art Collection
* Geelong Art Gallery
* City of Glen Eira
* City of Hume
* Wangaratta Exhibitions Gallery
* City of Whitehorse
* City of Wyndham

### Corporate and private collections

* ANZ Bank
* Art Horses Pty Ltd
* L’Oreal Australia
* Monash Medical Centre, Clayton
* Murray Goulburn Co-operative
* Northern Hospital
* Pacific Shopping Centres
* Polypacific
* Sushi King
* Yooralla Society
* Zart Art
* Private collections throughout Australia, the US and Hong Kong including that of Germaine Greer, Tuscany

### School collections

* Abbotsleigh School for Girls, Sydney
* Camberwell Grammar School, Melbourne
* Corio North High School
* Grimwade House, Melbourne Grammar School
* Kew High School
* Lara Lake Primary School
* Lilydale West Primary School
* Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School
* Mentone Girls Grammar School, Melbourne
* Mentone Grammar School, Melbourne
* Merton Hall, Melbourne Girls Grammar School
* Methodist Ladies' College (MLC), Melbourne
* Scotch College, Melbourne
* Star of the Sea College, Gardenvale
* Tintern Girls' Grammar School, Melbourne
* Wesley College, Melbourne (Elsternwick Campus)

## Awards and grants

* 1981 Nominated Kamel Kiln Award
* 1985 Ceramic Prize, City of Box Hill
* 1985 Ceramic Prize, City of Footscray
* 1987 Ministry for the Arts and Ministry for Education Artist in Schools Project
* 1988 Australia Council Grant To Develop a Body of Ceramic Work.
* 1988 Ministry for Arts and Ministry for Education, Artist in Schools Project
* 1989 Tasmanian Arts Council Grant-Artist in Residency, Tasmania
* 1991 Pat Corrigan Artist Grant, N.A.V.A.
* 1994 Winner, Australia Day Ceramic Award Shepparton Arts Centre.
* 1995 City of Glen Eira Artist Award
* 1999 Artist and Designers in Schools Grant, resident artist at Kew High School
* 2005 Artist in School Grant, Ministry for the Arts and Education
* 2010 Arts Victoria Grant
* 2012 Keep Australia Beautiful Award, Community Action for mosaics at Patterson Station, Bentleigh
* 2015 Cancer Council CEO Awards, Volunteer Group of the Year, Tuxedo Junction Committee
* 2017 Arts Council Grant, Tasmania