Tim Birch

THERE'S a portrait of Serge Gainsbourg here so without further hesitation I declaim that this is the show of the decade.

Well, it warrants a fanfare given its common threads of subtlety and sophistication. Astrid Kruse Jensen's photography provokes some puzzling out: banal scenes observed from the real world or seamlessly staged, fictive scenes?

Doesn't matter. Because in striving for the sublime Jensen will captivate most. Conversely, Andrew Tift's genius is manifest. 'Harajuku Punk (Girl)' [and Boy] become a pair evoking tranquility and grace, beneath his trademark immaculate finish.

David McKeran is more specifically concerned with surface. His 'cut-out' piece faithfully mimics Pollock's drip style - the paradox being the stylistically-at-odds 'masking off' that is flawless.

Elsewhere, Paul Elliker's big canvas is cerebral and flat-out funny, being an idealised 'landscape for city folk'. Howard Haigh pictures some of Warhol's entourage via the use of computer and projector technology - stylised, trendy results that Warhol would approve.

While Sheila Tilmouth faithfully represents fruit and veg', their quality echoing Caravaggio's lead that Still Life may be a category unto itself.

Moreover, Susie MacMurray uses 15,000 latex balloons for a startling floor filler entitled 'Blue Dress, 2002'. Anthony Francis affords his canvas a knotty, textured surface via rubber tubules. And Hamish Bell's precise portraiture of Gainsbourg plus the eminent Paul Robeson is celestial.

Pointedly, this exhibition has been sponsored by Eversheds: a legal firm with a passion for the arts. I call that equitable.

Imaginary Realities is at Philips Contemporary Art Gallery, Little Lever Street, Manchester until Saturday, March 8.

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