The art:

In 1960, Martin enrolled at the National Art School at East Sydney.
He was one of the editors of Oz, an Australia/UK alternative/underground satire magazine published from 1963 to 1973, and is associated with the international counterculture of that era. During this time Martin co-wrote one of Cream's best known songs, "Tales of Brave Ulysses", and created the cover art for Cream's Disraeli Gears and Wheels of Fire albums which won the New York Art Directors Prize for it’s design in 1968.

The home:

Sharp inherited the heritage-listed house Wirian, in Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill, Sydney, in 1978. The house had been bought by Sharp's grandfather in 1937, but became a gathering place for artists of many disciplines, and acted as Sharp's studio, and space for his many projects until his death in December 2013, at the age of 71. Martin's wish for his home as a place where people can be educated not only in relation to art and artists, but in relation to his work and the significance of Luna Park and the work of Tiny Tim - is still a priority for the Trust, that has approached many major institutions seeking their support.

Ours for eternity?
Saving the home of artist Martin Sharp (smh.com.au)

The funfair:

Martin's involvement with the restoration of Luna Park in the 1970s proved a bittersweet experience. In 1979 - after working on restoring the Park with fellow artists such as Peter Kingston and Garry Shead - pressure mounted to redevelop the prime harbourside site before a fire in the Luna Park Ghost Train on June 9 claimed seven lives, including a father and his two sons. The fire was a turning point in Martin's life. Like many others he firmly believed that it was a deliberate act of terrorism aimed at destroying the park and making the site available for redevelopment. In a 2010 interview on the ABC Radio National program The Spirit of Things, he revealed that the fire and the circumstances surrounding it had exerted a profound effect on his spiritual outlook.

The Spiritual Vision of Martin Sharp - The Spirit of Things - ABC Radio National (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Martin Sharp’s artistic vision was expansive. It embraced a multitude of creative practices and close collaborators.

Multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional, Martin Sharp was an exceptionally acute observer of Australian society, passionate about its culture and its future. His works are held in numerous International and Australian collections, notably MONA, The V&A and The National Gallery of Australia; and his campaign to preserve Sydney’s Luna Park is a stellar example of the importance of advocating for Australia’s popular culture. Quite simply, Martin Sharp exemplifies the best of Australia’s wide-ranging creative energy.

He designed at least two posters for Australia's premier contemporary circus, Circus Oz including the iconic 'World-famous'/'Non-Stop Energy' design, numerous posters for the Nimrod Theatre and designed album covers for Jeannie Lewis and Cold Chisel among others.

The troubadour:

Martin first saw performer Tiny Tim at the Royal Albert Hall in 1968 at the suggestion of Eric Clapton. From that time on, Tiny Tim was one of Sharp's strongest inspirations. "Tim's appropriation of song is very much like my appropriation of images," he said. "We are both collagists taking the elements of different epochs and mixing them to discover new relationships." Martin went on to incorporate Tiny Tim into his artwork and develop the feature length documentary "Street of Dreams" about Tim setting the world non-stop singing record at Luna Park in January 1979.