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Martin Sharp: His life and times
'Martin wore tight pants that were striped red, white and blue, like a Union Jack, and an embroidered Afghan vest. In front of his face he carried, like a lollipop, a smile on a stick. As he went, he bowed to passers-by. Even on King's Road, he stood out.'
Martin Sharp's art was as singular as his style. He blurred the boundaries of high art and low with images of Dylan, Hendrix and naked flower children that defined an era. Along the way the irreverent Australian was charged with obscenity and collaborated with Eric Clapton as he drew rock stars and reprobates into his world.
In this richly told and beautifully written biography, Joyce Morgan captures the loneliness of a privileged childhood, the heady days of the underground magazine Oz as well as the exuberant creativity of Swinging London and beyond.
Sharp pursued his quixotic dream to realise van Gogh's Yellow House in Australia. He obsessively championed eccentric singer Tiny Tim and was haunted by Sydney's Luna Park. Charismatic and paradoxical, he became a recluse whose phone never stopped ringing.
There was no one like Martin Sharp. When he died, he was described as a stranger in a strange land who left behind a trail of stardust.
Martin Sharp's art was as singular as his style. He blurred the boundaries of high art and low with images of Dylan, Hendrix and naked flower children that defined an era. Along the way the irreverent Australian was charged with obscenity and collaborated with Eric Clapton as he drew rock stars and reprobates into his world.
In this richly told and beautifully written biography, Joyce Morgan captures the loneliness of a privileged childhood, the heady days of the underground magazine Oz as well as the exuberant creativity of Swinging London and beyond.
Sharp pursued his quixotic dream to realise van Gogh's Yellow House in Australia. He obsessively championed eccentric singer Tiny Tim and was haunted by Sydney's Luna Park. Charismatic and paradoxical, he became a recluse whose phone never stopped ringing.
There was no one like Martin Sharp. When he died, he was described as a stranger in a strange land who left behind a trail of stardust.
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Published January 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 5, 2018
Great account of the life and times of this Australian artist. But even better as a vivid view of Sydney in the Swinging sixties and the life of all those around mr Sharp. Highly recommended.
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May 2, 2019Gave up on page 190, at end of chapter 12.
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May 1, 2017If you don’t know the name Martin Sharp it’s still likely you’ll be familiar with his artworks. The Australian artist was responsible for designing the covers of Cream’s two studio albums, was the co-founder and principal cartoonist at Oz magazine and produced famous posters of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and more. Martin Sharp – His Life & Times is a biography that covers his charmed period living in swinging London and his artistic career and life in the wonderful land of Oz.
This biography is written by former SMH arts editor and journalist, Joyce Morgan who interviewed Sharp several times from the beginning of this millennium and prior to his passing in 2013. Morgan has meticulously-researched Sharp’s life and this is evident in this detailed and chronological biography. It begins by painting a portrait of Sharp – who was the only child of an only child of an only child – who grew up in a house of privilege and attended private school in Sydney. It was here that he developed a love of creativity and painting thanks to a supportive teacher named Justin O’Brien.
In time Sharp would pursue art as his full-time career. He would blur the boundaries between high and low art just like Andy Warhol. In Sharp’s case, he also had an irreverent sense of humour underpinning his work and this also meant that his output was not without some troubles. In the early to mid-sixties, he and his Oz co-founders Richard Neville and Richard Walsh were subjected to two obscenity hearings and were briefly jailed.
Eventually Sharp would leave Australia for a stint in England. It was the swinging London of the sixties and he had the chance to rub shoulders with various artists and musicians. During this time he created many psychedelic works and he allowed people to crash and live at his place at The Pheasantry. Sharp would adopt this creative and fluid living arrangement on his return to Sydney where he pursued Van Gogh’s idea of a Yellow House and at his final home, Wirian.
Martin Sharp was an exuberant and original individual and this biography captures some of this spirit at times but at other moments you feel like Sharp’s colourful life is not fully done justice because the writing is purely factual and the chapters could be a little more flamboyant. This book does, however, capture some of the things that he was passionate about like Arthur Stance’s chalked “Eternity” on Sydney sidewalks as well as Luna Park and other Australian icons like the Opera House and Ginger Meggs cartoon. Sharp was responsible for repainting the face of Sydney’s Luna Park and he was also racked with guilt when seven people lost their lives on the ghost train ride fire in 1979. Morgan does a good job of pulling together lots of different events and describing the historic context as well as highlighting the importance and legacy of Sharp’s work.
The biography, Martin Sharp – His Life & Times is ultimately a fantastic primer and introduction to Australia’s most famous pop artist. The book describes his unconventional style and charismatic character but there are moments where you feel like his colourful personality could have been illuminated a little bit more vividly. This book is one that is rich with detail and well-told and it is one that allows the individuals who appreciate his work to get a glimpse into the creative tour de force behind so many striking images. Thank you for it all Martin.
This biography is written by former SMH arts editor and journalist, Joyce Morgan who interviewed Sharp several times from the beginning of this millennium and prior to his passing in 2013. Morgan has meticulously-researched Sharp’s life and this is evident in this detailed and chronological biography. It begins by painting a portrait of Sharp – who was the only child of an only child of an only child – who grew up in a house of privilege and attended private school in Sydney. It was here that he developed a love of creativity and painting thanks to a supportive teacher named Justin O’Brien.
In time Sharp would pursue art as his full-time career. He would blur the boundaries between high and low art just like Andy Warhol. In Sharp’s case, he also had an irreverent sense of humour underpinning his work and this also meant that his output was not without some troubles. In the early to mid-sixties, he and his Oz co-founders Richard Neville and Richard Walsh were subjected to two obscenity hearings and were briefly jailed.
Eventually Sharp would leave Australia for a stint in England. It was the swinging London of the sixties and he had the chance to rub shoulders with various artists and musicians. During this time he created many psychedelic works and he allowed people to crash and live at his place at The Pheasantry. Sharp would adopt this creative and fluid living arrangement on his return to Sydney where he pursued Van Gogh’s idea of a Yellow House and at his final home, Wirian.
Martin Sharp was an exuberant and original individual and this biography captures some of this spirit at times but at other moments you feel like Sharp’s colourful life is not fully done justice because the writing is purely factual and the chapters could be a little more flamboyant. This book does, however, capture some of the things that he was passionate about like Arthur Stance’s chalked “Eternity” on Sydney sidewalks as well as Luna Park and other Australian icons like the Opera House and Ginger Meggs cartoon. Sharp was responsible for repainting the face of Sydney’s Luna Park and he was also racked with guilt when seven people lost their lives on the ghost train ride fire in 1979. Morgan does a good job of pulling together lots of different events and describing the historic context as well as highlighting the importance and legacy of Sharp’s work.
The biography, Martin Sharp – His Life & Times is ultimately a fantastic primer and introduction to Australia’s most famous pop artist. The book describes his unconventional style and charismatic character but there are moments where you feel like his colourful personality could have been illuminated a little bit more vividly. This book is one that is rich with detail and well-told and it is one that allows the individuals who appreciate his work to get a glimpse into the creative tour de force behind so many striking images. Thank you for it all Martin.
Read
May 1, 2017If you don’t know the name Martin Sharp it’s still likely you’ll be familiar with his artworks. The Australian artist was responsible for designing the covers of Cream’s two studio albums, was the co-founder and principal cartoonist at Oz magazine and produced famous posters of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and more. Martin Sharp – His Life & Times is a biography that covers his charmed period living in swinging London and his artistic career and life in the wonderful land of Oz.
This biography is written by former SMH arts editor and journalist, Joyce Morgan who interviewed Sharp several times from the beginning of this millennium and prior to his passing in 2013. Morgan has meticulously-researched Sharp’s life and this is evident in this detailed and chronological biography. It begins by painting a portrait of Sharp – who was the only child of an only child of an only child – who grew up in a house of privilege and attended private school in Sydney. It was here that he developed a love of creativity and painting thanks to a supportive teacher named Justin O’Brien.
In time Sharp would pursue art as his full-time career. He would blur the boundaries between high and low art just like Andy Warhol. In Sharp’s case, he also had an irreverent sense of humour underpinning his work and this also meant that his output was not without some troubles. In the early to mid-sixties, he and his Oz co-founders Richard Neville and Richard Walsh were subjected to two obscenity hearings and were briefly jailed.
Eventually Sharp would leave Australia for a stint in England. It was the swinging London of the sixties and he had the chance to rub shoulders with various artists and musicians. During this time he created many psychedelic works and he allowed people to crash and live at his place at The Pheasantry. Sharp would adopt this creative and fluid living arrangement on his return to Sydney where he pursued Van Gogh’s idea of a Yellow House and at his final home, Wirian.
Martin Sharp was an exuberant and original individual and this biography captures some of this spirit at times but at other moments you feel like Sharp’s colourful life is not fully done justice because the writing is purely factual and the chapters could be a little more flamboyant. This book does, however, capture some of the things that he was passionate about like Arthur Stance’s chalked “Eternity” on Sydney sidewalks as well as Luna Park and other Australian icons like the Opera House and Ginger Meggs cartoon. Sharp was responsible for repainting the face of Sydney’s Luna Park and he was also racked with guilt when seven people lost their lives on the ghost train ride fire in 1979. Morgan does a good job of pulling together lots of different events and describing the historic context as well as highlighting the importance and legacy of Sharp’s work.
The biography, Martin Sharp – His Life & Times is ultimately a fantastic primer and introduction to Australia’s most famous pop artist. The book describes his unconventional style and charismatic character but there are moments where you feel like his colourful personality could have been illuminated a little bit more vividly. This book is one that is rich with detail and well-told and it is one that allows the individuals who appreciate his work to get a glimpse into the creative tour de force behind so many striking images. Thank you for it all Martin.
This biography is written by former SMH arts editor and journalist, Joyce Morgan who interviewed Sharp several times from the beginning of this millennium and prior to his passing in 2013. Morgan has meticulously-researched Sharp’s life and this is evident in this detailed and chronological biography. It begins by painting a portrait of Sharp – who was the only child of an only child of an only child – who grew up in a house of privilege and attended private school in Sydney. It was here that he developed a love of creativity and painting thanks to a supportive teacher named Justin O’Brien.
In time Sharp would pursue art as his full-time career. He would blur the boundaries between high and low art just like Andy Warhol. In Sharp’s case, he also had an irreverent sense of humour underpinning his work and this also meant that his output was not without some troubles. In the early to mid-sixties, he and his Oz co-founders Richard Neville and Richard Walsh were subjected to two obscenity hearings and were briefly jailed.
Eventually Sharp would leave Australia for a stint in England. It was the swinging London of the sixties and he had the chance to rub shoulders with various artists and musicians. During this time he created many psychedelic works and he allowed people to crash and live at his place at The Pheasantry. Sharp would adopt this creative and fluid living arrangement on his return to Sydney where he pursued Van Gogh’s idea of a Yellow House and at his final home, Wirian.
Martin Sharp was an exuberant and original individual and this biography captures some of this spirit at times but at other moments you feel like Sharp’s colourful life is not fully done justice because the writing is purely factual and the chapters could be a little more flamboyant. This book does, however, capture some of the things that he was passionate about like Arthur Stance’s chalked “Eternity” on Sydney sidewalks as well as Luna Park and other Australian icons like the Opera House and Ginger Meggs cartoon. Sharp was responsible for repainting the face of Sydney’s Luna Park and he was also racked with guilt when seven people lost their lives on the ghost train ride fire in 1979. Morgan does a good job of pulling together lots of different events and describing the historic context as well as highlighting the importance and legacy of Sharp’s work.
The biography, Martin Sharp – His Life & Times is ultimately a fantastic primer and introduction to Australia’s most famous pop artist. The book describes his unconventional style and charismatic character but there are moments where you feel like his colourful personality could have been illuminated a little bit more vividly. This book is one that is rich with detail and well-told and it is one that allows the individuals who appreciate his work to get a glimpse into the creative tour de force behind so many striking images. Thank you for it all Martin.
February 17, 2025
Considering he founded the mag Oz, was charged with obscenity and made the cover for Cream’s Disraeli Gears, and that’s just for starters (there’s also Tiny Tim!), the book title is accurate but dull compared to its stories (which are great).
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews