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Martin Sharp was one of Australia's most iconic and internationally influential culture makers of the late 20th Century. He was charismatic and unconventional, unique and surprising. His images defined the spirit of a generation and then a city...In this richly told and beautifully written biography, Joyce Morgan not only captures the loneliness of a privileged childhood, the heady days of Oz, the swirling world of creativity and energy that was Swinging London in the 1960s, but a vitality that embodied the times. And then there was the Yellow House, Martin's passion for restoring Luna Park and his lifelong obsession with Tiny Tim. 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.
About the author
Joyce Morgan is a former arts editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, a journalist and author of Journeys on the Silk Road. British-born and Sydney-based, she has worked as a journalist in London, Hong Kong and Sydney and has written on arts and culture for more than two decades.
Summary
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.
Foreword
The life of the charismatic, unconventional, unique and surprising Martin Sharp - pop artist and joint founder of the underground magazine Oz
