Tundra Pink
The Mineral Violet Triad · 13 of 14
First Female Leader of an Australian Political Party · 1986 (1945–2004)
Her achievement
Janine Haines broke new ground as the first woman to lead a political party in Australia, the Australian Democrats, and championed gender equality in politics and broader societal issues.
Leading a third-party movement meant constantly navigating a landscape dominated by the major parties, while holding the balance of power.
The materiality
Rather than drying as a soft pastel, Tundra Pink’s granulating blend of ultramarine blue and Potter’s Pink separates dramatically.
Heavy blue-violet particles settle deep into the tight folds of her iconic voluminous hair, frameless glasses and patterned collar, creating an unexpectedly deep plum-toned intensity. In the upper-left and lower-right bursts a dusty pink-grey wash floats across the raised ridges.
It is a pigment defined by friction — blue and pink working in tandem yet refusing a flat, conformist hue. Dark contours for the quiet authority of holding the balance of power; delicate blooms for the alternative perspective she brought to national parliament.
Macro detail
Look closely
Heavy blue-violet particles settle into the voluminous hair, frameless glasses and patterned collar. In the bursts a soft dusty pink-grey wash floats across the raised ridges. What happens to the pigment where the tissue paper rises?