What's Art Got to Do With It?

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The Work

Bri Lee 

386 pages, Paperback, First published April 3, 2024 

Lally and Patrick are both involved in the art world. Lally owns and operates a gallery in New York and Patrick is trying to establish himself in the Sydney antiquities market. When the two meet at New York's Armory Show the attraction is instant.  

Bri Lee is better known for producing works of non-fiction and her memoir Eggshell Skull is one of the most challenging pieces of work to read. Lee's crossover to fiction is undeniably a success.  

The story alternates between Lally and Patrick viewpoints and it really opens your understanding of the two characters and their motivations. Lally would seem to have it all, she has money, she has a supportive family, a career and gallery that is on the rise having just landed a major sale. With all that she still has that something is missing, and it is not necessarily a relationship, but you are kicking career goals what is next? Patrick has come from near poverty, sent to an exclusive all boys school and is the square peg in a round hole. He is surrounded by money but has no money, he is desperate to make his mark and is willing to go the extra mile. Both need to juggle and reassess what they both hope to obtain in life. Both are complex, with believable backgrounds and genuine hangups. 

Surrounding the two of them is the art world and its dynamics of power, money, influence and sexual politics. This is so deftly done by Lee, as she plunges you headfirst into this quite alien world. The situation that Lally finds herself presented with is a really contestable space of whether she is the victim or the part of the problem. The same with Patrick’s relationship with a client and what is reasonable in meeting their expectations. Lee does not really give you an answer and that I really liked.  

I am not ignoring the sex scenes, there are a few and not just between Lally and Patrick. A cross the board, Lee has handled the sex scenes really well, there is the raunch, there is humor, there is respect and there is power and control being exerted.  

The Work is whip smart, in your face, brutal, honest, with two flawed characters who are scared to embrace happiness. A really good fictional debut.  

For more on Bri Lee check out their website. 

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