The Everlasting World of Martin Sharp

The Everlasting World of Martin Sharp is an exhibition devoted to Australia’s foremost pop artist, Martin Sharp. 

As an artist, illustrator, songwriter and film-maker, Sharp’s extensive and diverse creative output includes classic psychedelic posters, Oz Magazine illustrations, images from the world of popular culture such as Luna Park, Mickey Mouse, Ginger Meggs and Boofhead, work influenced by his muses Van Gogh and Tiny Tim and friendships such as with the celebrated actor David Gulpilil.

This exhibition concentrates on Martin Sharp’s paintings from his early school days in 1956, under the tuition of Justin O’Brien, to recent large-scale works, a number of which have not been exhibited before.   It is the first comprehensive exhibition of Sharp’s paintings spanning his whole career.

Highlights include Courage My Friend inspired by Van Gogh’s The Road to Tarascon, Art Galaxy, Ginger in Japan, Pentecost, Still Life a portrait of the classic pop icon Marilyn Monroe, Snow Job a subtle statement on the tragic events at Luna Park in 1979, The Great is Fallen, is Fallen a Hokusai inspired image featuring the iconic Luna Park entrance towers, Seventeen Minutes to Four a large scale feast of psychedelia, A Curiosity in her own Country a poignant observation of contemporary Australian Indigenous life inspired by Will Dyson’s 1890s orginal, as well as an ode to de Chirico Reprise: Giorgio de Chirico’s Song of Love, Abalone and David Gulpilil- The Thousand Dollar Bill.

This exhibition celebrates Martin Sharp’s ‘everlasting’ contribution to Australian and British culture since the early 1960s,  as well as his social concerns, and poignant empathy with contemporary Australian life and Indigenous culture. 

For further information please contact Ivan Dougherty Gallery