Wendy Sharpe’s much-anticipated exhibition, Wheel of Fortune, is now on show at the King Street Gallery on William in Sydney. This life-affirming explosion of colour celebrates humanity, most noticeably, the lusciousness of the female form.
I couldn’t help but notice that Wendy’s French Kiss sang out to patrons on opening night; many seemed caught up in the sensual world of the two lovers, dare I say, possibly reliving a moment long past but not forgotten.
Wendy’s Wheel of Fortune artist’s statement reveals her inspiration. Feast on a selection of paintings from her exhibition (below) – however, I implore you to visit the gallery to view the full magnificence of Wendy’s artistry if you can.
![Summer Night [Faustine and Winslow Homer], oil on linen 102 x 92cm](http://www.onlythegoodnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Summer-Night.jpg)
Artist’s Statement
I am intrigued by the ripped layers of advertising posters in the Paris Metro.
A woman drinking coffee is torn back, to reveal a child on a swing.
A train window through a snowy landscape is ripped away to uncover a screaming crowd at a rock concert.
I am reminded of pentimento, a term in painting, where as paint ages and becomes transparent, an image hidden beneath is finally visible.
Multiple images take us beyond the surface of things, suggesting alternative scenarios, secrets or hidden truths.
The meaning of each painting is open-ended, allowing the viewer to engage with the work on a subjective level, and to create their own narratives based on personal experience.
This exhibition includes paintings of the 3 fates: who spin, measure, and cut the thread of life and the wheel of fortune, symbolising the capricious nature of fate, spun at random.
Both express the idea our lives are largely determined by factors beyond our control, such as luck, timing, and circumstance.
The Wheel of Fortune is also a reminder of the countless alternative paths our lives could have taken if different choices or circumstances had been in play. This ‘what if’ question is one that haunts many of us, and reflects the inherent uncertainty and mystery of life itself.
_____________________________________________
Wendy Sharpe
2023
![Three Fates and Doll [after Pieter Thijs], oil on linen 50 x 56cm](http://www.onlythegoodnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Three-Fates-and-Doll-after-Pieter-Thijs.jpg)
King Street Gallery on William
Exhibition dates: 1-26 August
10am – 6pm Tues – Sat
177-185 William Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney
+61 2 9360 9727
For more information visit: https://kingstreetgallery.com.au/exhibition/wendy-sharpe/
*Top image: French Kiss, oil on linen 85 x 84cm
Get Social