Pamela Irving facts for kids

Mr. Logomania, The man who loves words, 2013, Collezione Mosaici Moderni, Ravenna

Pamela Irving, born in 1960, is a talented Australian artist. She creates amazing sculptures using materials like bronze, ceramics, and mosaics. She also makes art through printmaking and etching.

Besides creating her own art, Pamela has taught art and ceramics at several universities. She even wrote about art for a newspaper. She was also a councillor on the Craft Council of Victoria.

Becoming an Artist

Pamela Irving was born in Victoria, Australia. She studied art at the Melbourne State College from 1979 to 1982. There, she earned a degree in Art and Craft Education.

Later, she completed a Master of Arts degree at the Melbourne College of Advanced Education. For her master's project, Pamela studied why certain myths and images appear in the art of famous Australian artists like Arthur Boyd and Mirka Mora.

Art Style and Inspiration

Pamela Irving's art often comes from her own experiences and imagination. Her early ceramic works were known for being funny and not following traditional pottery rules.

She was inspired by artists such as Arthur Boyd, Mirka Mora, and Sidney Nolan. More recently, Pamela has been influenced by "outsider art." This is art made by people who are self-taught or "naive artists." She also likes "memoryware," which is art made from everyday objects. This interest grew after she visited Nek Chand's Rock Garden in Chandigarh, India.

Famous Artworks

Larry La Trobe Sculpture

Pamela Irving's most famous artwork is the bronze sculpture of Larry La Trobe. The city of Melbourne asked her to create it in 1992. It was part of a project to improve Swanston Street.

Sadly, the first statue was stolen in 1995. Many people were upset and wanted it back. Even though it was never found, the statue was remade by Peter Kolliner, with a few small changes by Pamela. The new Larry statue was put back in September 1996. You can find it at the corner of Swanston Street and Collins Street in Melbourne.

Luna Park Mosaic

Another important artwork is a large mosaic mural at Melbourne's Luna Park. This huge public artwork covers the Luna Palace building. It was made for Luna Park's 100th birthday and took four years to finish.

Art Community Involvement

Pamela Irving is very active in the mosaic art community in Australia. She was a councillor on the Craft Council of Victoria in the 1980s. She also served as the vice-president of the Mosaic Association of Australia and New Zealand from 2007 to 2017.

Art Exhibitions

Pamela Irving has shown her art in many exhibitions. Between 1981 and 2018, she had 27 solo exhibitions, 16 joint exhibitions, and over 100 group exhibitions.

Solo Exhibitions

• 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
• 1981 “Two of a Kind” John & Pamela Irving, Eltham 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 Contemporary 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

Art in Collections

Pamela Irving's art can be found in many important collections.

Museums and Galleries

• Museum Victoria
• Collezione Mosaici Moderni
• University of Melbourne including Trinity College
• Deakin University
• Australian Catholic University
• Artbank
• Melbourne City Council
• Shepparton Art Gallery
• Bendigo Art Gallery
• Geelong Art Gallery
• City of Whitehorse

Corporate and Private Collections

• ANZ Bank
• L’Oreal Australia
• Monash Medical Centre, Clayton
• Northern Hospital
• Private collections in Australia, the US, and Hong Kong.

School Collections

• Abbotsleigh School for Girls, Sydney
• Camberwell Grammar School, Melbourne
• Grimwade House, Melbourne Grammar School
• Kew High 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

Pamela Irving has received many awards and grants for her art:

• 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
• 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

See also

• Art of Australia
• List of Australian artists
• Larry La Trobe