"such infamous scoundrels have the last laugh, and are safely on their way to France." Raffles, Further Adventures Of The Amateur Cracksman by Hornung, E. W.
Martin Sharp, smiling in the photo, larger than life reminiscent of his Luna Park entrance art was laid to rest at this church in Sydney. The funeral, and this collage by Jim, were and are rife with artistic imagery - the sunflowers that we associate with Van Gogh and the Eternity that we Aussie's associate with Martin Sharp and Arthur Stace.
Stace was a reformed alcohol who spread the gospel by writing his tag, ETERNITY, all over Sydney in the 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's. His chalk message was written in a beautiful copperplate script.
Sharp created an Eternity screenprint in 1977 from multiple stencils that was titled Eternity Haymarket! It is now in the National Gallery of Australia, in Canberra. This is what links him to the powerful word Eternity.
While I did not know Martin Sharp he is inextricably linked to my, and many others, lives. I imagine him wandering the streets of Sydney near Kings Cross, walking to his beloved Yellow House, sharing whatever he drank and his ideas with artists and poets. At one point he lived with Eric Clapton, Germaine Greer, and Philippe Mora. I know he stood publicly against censorship with the two Richards from Oz magazine. He, and they, gave me hope at a formative part of my live when I yearned to know that the stifling nature of suburbia was not the only reality. They awakened artists in everyone and they did it with an irreverent laugh.
PHOTO: Jim Anderson was inspired to continue with his artworks by Martin Sharp. See his art and read his story at his site.
PHOTO: Jim Anderson was inspired to continue with his artworks by Martin Sharp. See his art and read his story at his site.
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