News to Date
For a quick overview of upcoming events:
See 'Diary Dates' on this page
A sumptuous new book by Elizabeth Fortescue: Wendy Sharpe: Many Lives
Available in bookshops now. (see 'Publications' on this website for more details).
Wendy Sharpe Many Lives boasts more than 200 images of Wendy, her studio, her home and work.
The Beginning, Oil/Acrylic on canvas, 1500x200cm
The Night, The Night, Oil/Acrylic on canvas, 1500x200cm
Infinite Possibilities, Oil/Acrylic on linen, 210x270cm
Between Worlds
"This exhibition is about the dichotomy between fantasy and reality, the seen and the unseen. We live in the coinciding worlds of imagination and the everyday. Partly in the present, but also, thinking of the past or possible future.
We have a foot in both worlds. As an artist this is particularly true. Ideas appear to come ‘out of thin air’ but they are the result from years of work, sometimes linking seemingly unconnected concepts of memory, play and experimentation. An artist needs to be able to enter their own private world where all is intuitive and nothing is out of the question, and then return to review and possibly edit the results.
‘I shut my eyes in order to see'
(Paul Gauguin)
I am not interested in the obvious or straight forward, the prescriptive or illustrational. I believe art of any interest has a degree of ambiguity. Poetic not simply documentary, allowing the viewer to bring their own interpretation and engage on a deeper level.
There is a French idiom ’Entre chien et loup' – ‘between dog and wolf' in English. It refers to dawn or dusk, when it is nearly dark and impossible to distinguish between a dog and a wolf. It's a metaphorical expression about uncertainty and the unknown, the domestic and the wild, the benign and the dangerous. There are endless possibilities, like creativity itself."
Wendy Sharpe 2025
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Philip Bacon Galleries
ABC TV - SPACE 22
An ABC Documentary 6 part series. Available on ABC iVIEW (follow link below)
Space 22 , created and produced by BBC Studios’ Australian production arm, the program explores the impact of art and creativity on mental health in a new six-part documentary series.
Hosted by recording artist Natalie Bassingthwaighte , Space 22 follows seven strangers, each with their own lived experience of mental ill-health, as they take part in an ambitious experiment to test if the simple act of participating in art can help heal invisible wounds. The impact will be measured by Australia’s Black Dog Institute.
Joining them in a unique workspace are three well-known Australian artists Abdul Abdulla, Wendy Sharpe and Eddie Perfect who will share their skills and inspiration with the volunteers across different disciplines. Working with the Black Dog Institute, Professor Kathryn Boydell will be measuring the results. Supported by psychotherapist Noula Diamantopoulos , many in the group will be experiencing visual and performing arts for the first time. The hope is that by being creative, together, it will have a positive impact on their health and wellbeing.
SPACE 22
