Blackburn South Sharpies

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BLACK BUR N SOUT H S H AR P S Larry was the leader of the notorious street gang the “BLACKBURN SOUTH SHARPS" from 1972–1977 when the Sharpie sub-culture was at its peak and the working class suburbs of Melbourne were a tough and violent place to grow up. These photographs represent a period from 1975 –1976 in Australian sub-cultural history and are one of the few photographic records of that time.

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LA R RY J E N K I NS THE ART IST Larry Jenkins, is the photographer responsible for the now famous “Sharpie” photos recently exhibited at ACMI / Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia.

Larry was the leader of the notorious street gang the “BLACKBURN SOUTH SHARPS" from 1972-1977 when the Sharpie sub-culture was at its peak and the working class suburbs of Melbourne were a tough and violent place to grow up. These photographs represent a period from 1975 - 1976 in Australian sub-cultural history and are one of the few photographic records of that time. Larry began taking photos using a pocket camera, this was all the 16 year old artist could afford as he had just started working as an apprentice motor mechanic and spent his weekly wage developing his shots.

Jenkins photographic style was influenced by Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns starring Clint Eastwood.

Larry and his gang used to walk to the local Burwood drive-in and watch the highly popular cult hero on the large outdoor screen from a creek just outside the drive-in fence where they could just hear the sound.

They were too young to own a car, or a drivers license and couldn’t afford a ticket to enter.

From these films, Larry developed a sound knowledge of composition and subject matter. He captured fleeting moments, candid shots and directed his teenage mates through elaborate poses set against the immediate Australian suburban backdrops.

Shops, billboards, brick houses, backyard swimming pools, garages and Ford or GM cars were all common themes as Jenkins made his mundane world look exciting through the lens of his camera, utilizing scale, angles and the imposing figures of his gang.

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GANG WARFARE WAS COMMONPLACE... IT WAS A VERY MACHO PERIOD IN AUST RALIAN HISTORY AND A DOG EAT DOG WORLD...

THE SUBJECT A “Sharp” or “Sharpies” had a unique identity and style of their own and a rebellious attitude was synonymous with being a Sharp. They defined themselves by the clothes they wore, the bands they followed and their unusual hair style, clipped short all over, leaving tails at the back that were usually bleached. “Sharps” wore custom designed striped cardigans made by local knitters. They also wore hand made leather shoes which had a chisel toe with a Cuban heal. Another design was the platform shoe with a round toe all made to specification by a local boot maker. Sharpies wore T-shirts with their suburban logo on the back and their jeans had to be short enough to show their “black” socks.

One of the ground breaking characteristics of “Sharps” was that they were the first men in Australia to pierce their ears and wear earrings. Usually the left ear only, although some had both ears pierced or two in the left and one in the right. The Art world and the Fashion world in Australia are both fascinated by this as it was the first and only time in Australian history when street fashion was not influenced by overseas trends.

Sharpie Gangs followed Australian bands such as Lobby Lloyde and the Coloured Balls and AC/DC who played hard rock and had a street ethos in their lyrics that the adolescent “Sharps” could relate to.

There was an expectation of danger surrounding Sharpies as there was a Sharpie gang at every group of shops in every working class suburb and each had their own territory which they protected vigilantly. Gang warfare was commonplace and travelling by train could be a ride to hell! It was a very macho period in Australian history and a dog eat dog world and many "Sharpies" practised Karate and used nunchakus as Bruce Lee was an icon of the time.

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IT WAS SUCH A SUCCESS T HAT T HE MUSEUM ARANGED A TOUR AROUND AUST RALIA...

WHERE IT’S BEEN Jenkins photos were first seen by the public in an exhibition for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney which ran from 28th Nov 2001 - 3rd March 2002. It was such a success that the Museum arranged a tour around Australia. The collection was seen at prominent galleries such as, Gertrude St Gallery in Melbourne, the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane, Blacktown Arts Center in NSW & Albury Regional Art Gallery. The tour finished in September 2003. Jenkins and Peter Robertson the presenter and fellow gang member, did several press interviews including major newspapers “ The Sun” “The Age” “The Bulletin”. Radio station Triple JJJ fm, and Triple RRR fm. The media have now embraced the once maligned “Sharpie” sub-culture and it has been extremely popular with the Australian Youth.

ABC television network has produced a Sharpie documentary featuring an interview with Jenkins on this subject as well as constructing a website featuring his photos which also includes print and TV interviews with the artist. www.abc.net.au/visual arts/archives/sharpies At the end of 2003 Larry was approached by Australian Center of Moving Image to be involved in their Resistance program for the 2004 Australia Day celebration of sub-cultures in Australia, featuring his photos. The Federation Square Exhibition was initially programmed to run for a fortnight but was such a huge success, that ACMI extended it for another three months due to public response, finally finishing at the end of April.

As part of the ACMI exhibition a short documentary was made by Director – Rebecca McLean, titled “Suburban Warriors” featuring Larry Jenkins, Lobby Lloyde and other ex "Sharpies" commenting on the times, which was screened in the ACMI Cinema as part of the opening. © 2004 LARRY JENKINS

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S H A R P I ES EUROPEAN T OUR Australian Embassy Berlin Wallstrasse 76 • 10179 Berlin September 8 – October 20 2005 > 50 photos A3/A2 format > music video by Larry Jenkins which includes photos and B&W footage of the period Berlin Agent Helen Punton helen@modernwhite.com Mobile: + 61 (0)431 838 382

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