Past Programs
Popular Culture - 2008
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The Witch of Positano
27/11/2008
Born in 1930, artist and dancer Vali Myers left Australia at the age of 19 for post-war Paris.
Hers is a story of survival on the streets of Europe, in prison, and smoking opium with the likes of Jean Cocteau and Jean Genet. And then there's the tale of how she came to marry a Hungarian gypsy and live in her isolated 'wildlife sanctuary' near Positano in the South of Italy.
Vali's art; mystical and intricate portraits of herself, have caught the attention of the international art scene. Today she remains a cult figure who has among her friends Deborah Harry, Marianne Faithful and Patti Smith. She's arrestingly honest and a sight to behold. At 70, she's still turning heads with her shock of wild red hair, piercing eyes, tattoos and gypsy-like presence.
Maestro Tommy Tycho
23/10/2008
Over half a century Maestro Tommy Tycho has built a reputation as one of Australia's most respected musical directors. He has worked with showbiz greats such as Sammy Davis Jr and Shirley Bassey, performed for royalty, composed scores for films and television, and conducted some of the finest philharmonic orchestras in the country.
He traces the path of his musical success from its origins in Budapest before the Second World War, where he crouched under his parents' piano listening to the gathered artists talk and perform; to working as a storeman in post-war Australia.
John Ross: the Silhouette Man
02/10/2008
With just a pair of scissors, a sheet of black paper and nimble hands, John Ross has been cutting silhouettes for 65 years. From Detroit's Put-in-Bay Steamer to the humid tents of WW2 Philippines to the Australian agricultural show circuit, John takes us on a colourful journey of his life.
