As an artist, cartoonist, songwriter and film-maker, Martin Sharp has made tremendous contributions to Australian culture since the early 60s.

He is regarded as Australia's foremost Pop artist. The "acknowledged king of the UK poster scene in the 60's", his famous psychedelic posters of Dylan, Donovan and others rank as classics of the genre, alongside the work of Stanley Mouse, Rick Griffin, 'Hapshash & The Coloured Coat' and Milton Glaser. His cartoons and illustrations were a central feature of OZ magazine, both in Australia and in London. Martin co-wrote one of Cream's most famous songs, and in the 70s he became a champion of singer Tiny Tim, and of Sydney's embattled Luna Park.

In 1964 Sharp, Neville and Walsh were charged with obscenity, tried and found guilty, although the conviction was subsequently overturned on appeal. Swinging London was by then the mecca for young artists, writers and musicians, and after the distasteful experience of the first OZ trial, Neville and Sharp needed little encouragement to leave Australia.

On arrival, Martin moved into a studio space shared with photographer Robert Whitaker (famous for his legendary "butcher" photo, used on the cover of the Beatles' album Yesterday & Today). When Richard Neville arrived a few months later, he established London OZ, which soon proved itself just as controversial as its Australian parent. Martin became its Art Director and chief cartoonist.

One night in 1967 Martin was introduced to a musician in a London nightclub. During the evening Martin wrote out a poem he had composed on a serviette and gave it to the musician to use as a lyric for a new song. The musician was guitarist Eric Clapton and the song, Tales of Brave Ulysses, was recorded on Cream's next album Disraeli Gears (1967). Martin's friendship with Clapton led to his designing the famous psychedelic collage cover of that album, which also included photography by Bob Whitaker. Martin also designed the spectacular gatefold sleeve for Cream's next album, the Wheels of Fire (1968), for which he won the New York Art Directors Prize for Best Album Design in 1969.

Not long after, Martin moved into a Chelsea studio space called The Pheasantry, which placed him at the epicentre of London's counter-cultural life and the Underground scene. Many years later, Martin recalled the story of his fateful meeting with Clapton:

Martin became a renowned Pop artist and created famous posters of musicians like Bob Dylan, Donovan and Jimi Hendrix (adapted from a photo by Linda McCartney). He also discovered Tiny Tim, who became one of his main artistic obsessions.

Returning to London in 1972, Martin continued his interest with the idea of appropriation. He created "Art Book", another miniature production, approximately 5" x 6" in size and incorporating 36 colour collages cut from the pages of glossy art books, bringing together the work in single images of Magritte and Van Gogh, Matisse and Magritte, Botticelli and Picasso with occasional overlays of Van Gogh on Van Gogh, Van Gogh on Botticelli, or Vermeer on Vermeer.

Distributed in the United Kingdom, France and Italy in 1972, "Artbook" was released in Australian in 1973 to coincide with Martin's 1973 "Art Exhibition" at the Bonython Gallery, Sydney. The previous collage images were presented as completed paintings, returning them to their original medium. Extending viewer involvement, one work, "Self Portrait' was simply a mirror in an ornate gold frame while another more iconicised work was a linen, cheap reproduction of the "Mona Lisa" in an equally ornate gold frame, entitled 'Tea Towel''.

For the rest of the 70s and beyond, Martin's work was dominated by two major obsessions -- Sydney's Luna Park (located close to the Sharp family home in Lavender Bay) and Tiny Tim. Martin was engaged as a designer and artist to oversee the restoration of Luna Park, including the commission to revamp the enormous laughing face at the entrance. This long commission had all the ingredients of Pop art -- nostalgia, huge sculptures, powerful images, wonderful paintings by Arthur Barton along with bright colours and lights. In 1978 he and fellow artist/designer Richard Liney, also an avid collector of memorabilia, loaned their combined collection of hundreds of fairground. circus, Luna Park and sideshow artifacts to the Art Gallery of NSW to coincide with the Festival of Sydney.

In 1979 the tragic fire in the Luna Park Ghost Train claimed seven lives, and silenced the optimism for a newly restored Fun Park. Martin's work on the Luna Park Face was ruined, and the park's theme "Just for Fun" lost its meaning. Like many others, Martin firmly believes the fire was an act of terrorism aimed at destroying the park and establishing alternative interests. Its unique location on the northern foreshore of the harbour, just under the north-western tower of the Harbour Bridge, makes it a prize of inestimable value to property developers. Along with various other artist friends and sympathetic supporters, Martin was instrumental in forming the Friends of Luna Park in an endeavour to lobby the State Government and remind Sydneysiders of what they stood to lose if the park was lost. Martin's painting "Snow Job" is a poignant reminder of his feelings about this matter, and if it had not been for the efforts of Martin Sharp, Sydney may have lost an important part of its character.

Besides Van Gogh, Tiny Tim has been one of Martin's strongest inspirations.

Martin's appreciation of Tiny Tim has manifested itself in many ways -- a five-metre painting now hanging in Macquarie University was painted during the mid seventies with Tim Lewis. A film "Street of Dreams" is described in Martin's painting "Film Script". Martin laboured for over a decade on this film about Tiny Tim, and it almost led to him selling his house to finance it. However, the story goes that on the eve of the sale, Martin received a surprise cheque in the mail -- it was a substantial royalty payment for his lyrics for Tales Of Brave Ulysses! This enabled him to continue working on the film without selling his house.