Born on the east coast of Australia, this painter is well known for going out into the desert to record the surroundings. Making small, immediate drawings he then returns to his studio to paint. But it's what he does with the notion of landscape that attracts me to his work. Instead of treating the landscape as 'grand vista' for a faithful even reverential interpretation (the ubiquitous three vertical stripes), Peter Sharp instead chooses to hone into the things he sees on the ground, a rock or a seed pod for example might inspires him.

Fittingly, Sharp paints with his canvas laid out on the floor, a preference that honours his preoccupation with the microcosm, enabling him to take an aerial view of his work in progress. I love looking at these; abstractions combining hard edged forms with gestural strokes using both oil and acrylic.

Born in Sydney in 1964, Sharp completed a Bachelor of Art Education at City Art Institute, Sydney in 1987 before graduating with a Masters of Fine Art at the University of New South Wales, College of Fine Arts in 1992, where he continues to lecture. From 1989-1999 he held regular solo exhibitions at Coventry Gallery, Sydney. Peter has completed a series of overseas residencies in France and Germany. His paintings have been exhibited in the Wynne Prize (1996, 2003) and Sulman Prize (1998, 2008) at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, as well as in numerous regional gallery exhibitions throughout Australia.

Text courtesy of Undercover Painter and Liverpool Street Gallery.

Represented By: Liverpool Street Gallery, Sydney

Website: www.liverpoolstgallery.com.au

Forthcoming Exhibition:TBA