Sydney: Pulp Non Fiction

DEVILS IN PARADISE: Nine artist on the trail in Tasmania
JOANNA BRAITHWAITE, LUCY CULLITON, NEIL FRAZER, DAVID KEELING, CHRIS O'DOHERTY (aka REG MOMBASSA), EUAN MACLEOD, ADRIENNE RICHARDS, LEO ROBBA, DAVID USHER
Damien Minton Gallery, Redfern
Until 29 September

Left: Federal Greens leader Bob Brown, fresh from the Senate, addresses the opening night crowd.

Le Flaneur has always thought of Damien Minton as a man with heart, and this show is further proof that he's not afraid to tangle with tree huggers and environmental poitics, all the while upholding the highest artistic standards. Bob Brown is certainly not shy about linking art to politics, and his opening night address, while acknowledging the 'genius' of the artists, became something of an impassioned Senate-style speech denouncing the proposed Gunns pulp mill project in the Tamar Valley, and old-growth logging in general. His audience was pretty much the already converted, and one could well imagine Tasmanian loggers dismissing them as effete, chardonnay-swilling (why is it always chardonnay?) Paddo socialists that have never set foot in an old-growth forest. It's partially true, of course, but we were struck by how diverse the crowd was for a 'serious gallery' opening. Packed to the rafters, with a fair number of chunky-knit sweaters, ponchos and pony tails in evidence, hordes of kids, and a sausage (organic, of course) sizzle on the street, it felt more like something you'd attend in Launceston than Sydney.

As to the art, it's a hard show not to like, given the love of landscape that lurks in every Aussie heart, and appeared to be pretty much sold out. We wondered if it was in fact a fundraiser, but the materials do not say so, and its interesting that many of the artists appear courtesy of their regular commercial galleries as part of this special group show - further evidence of Minton's unusual approach in the brittle gallery scene perhaps? LF's standouts were Euan McLeod's sombre landcape studies (on paper), Joanna Braithwaite's tongue-in-cheek renderings of Tasmanian Devils at play (perfect for the kids bedrooms!) and, surprisingly, Reg Mombasa's iconic little studies - his vision is starting to transcend his signature style and just gets better.

Not unmissable, but heart-warming and unusual.