Western Sydney artist David Capra found his initial inspiration for Sheer Fantasy when he saw footage of Big Bird singing 'It's Not Easy Being Green' at Jim Henson's memorial service. He says there was something heartbreaking about the performance, which showed how Henson's creations have taken on an extraordinary life of their own. It led him to ask a question: what would happen if the world accommodated fantasy a lot more? Sheer Fantasy is the answer.
Capra has curated this exhibition for Campbelltown Arts Centre, drawing in the work of a diverse range of artists from around Australia and the world. There's Mark Shorter's 'Hello Stranger', an installation inspired by 1970s road movies and Westerns, featuring a beaten up truck in front of a sweeping desert landscape. There's famed photographer Polly Borland's portrait of Game of Thrones actor Gwendoline Christie; Esme Timbery's shell-encrusted Sydney Opera House; and a wallpaper by Terri Bowden that splices together images of Fred Flintstone and Michael Jackson.
One of the most unusual additions to the exhibition is a painting by Kim Novak, the actor-turned-artist who starred in Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 thriller Vertigo. The painting depicts Novak in character alongside co-star James Stewart and Hitchcock himself.
Stranger still is a displayy of admin and merchandise materials from the UFO and Paranormal Research Sociey of Australia, an organisation that's met regularly at Campbelltown Arts Centre for a decade.
The free exhibition is at Campbelltown Arts Centre until June 3. And yes, there's a room where you can pay your respects to Henson and watch Big Bird's performance.