The small oil-on-canvas composition by Thirroul artist Frank Nowlan is one of 197 works drawn from 34 Illawarra artists that feature in the gallery's 30th Anniversary Exhibition, which opened last night.

The painting depicts the North Wollongong kebab shop's infamous "table of knowledge", surrounded by five people who figured in the Independent Commission Against Corruption's investigation into Wollongong City Council.

But despite hanging the work in its anniversary show, the gallery refused to give the Mercury contact details for Nowlan, saying they would not approve a story about the work. When the Mercury phoned Nowlan, he declined to be interviewed saying the issue was "too provocative".

Art is often described as the last bastion of the provocative. And while Nowlan's Table of Knowledge is hardly as controversial as the Bill Henson furore, Piss Christ or Tracey Emin's bed, the gallery's reluctance to discuss the piece with the media has made it even more of a tantalising subject.

Ironically, Nowlan's Table of Knowledge and the gallery's controversial treatment of it is likely to work in their favour.

Controversy in the visual arts has, in the past, equated to newspaper headlines, talkback radio discussion and community interest.

The Art Gallery of NSW's Archibald Prize has been plagued by controversy since 1943 when William Dobell's winning painting of fellow artist Joshua Smith was deemed to be a caricature and not a portrait.

As for Nowlan's Table of Knowledge, residents can decide on the merits of the painting for themselves.