B.

Novel works has been curated by Ewen McDonald of the Mori Gallery Sydney from the work of three women artists: Pauline Thompson from Auckland, Deborah Russell from Sydney and Caroline Williams from Melbourne. They were chosen by McDonald because of the common theme he saw in their work. This theme is the 'absence of narrative' in otherwise literary and clearly figurative works.

He goes on to explain "Novel Works covers not only their recent work, but work that is of the novel – pertaining to the set up or contrivance of narrative. This does not mean that the paintings themselves necessarily illustrate or describe a story, it's more the conjuring of a peculiar, sometimes disturbing atmosphere – the twilight when things do not appear as they seem."

Thus the notion of suspense is paramount in these works. They convey a mysteriousness, a disquiet. When one is searching for the enlightenment of the complete picture – the full story – something is held back and it is this absence which unsettles and creates an eerie unrest.

Novel works contains 4 or 5 works by each artist and its tour is organised by the N.Z.A.G.D.C.

('Novel Works', Bulletin, No.61, January/February 1989, pp.2-3)