Book Club - Bri Lee’s The Work

Bri Lee is the award winning author of Eggshell skull and Who gets to be smart.  The Work is her first novel. The art scene in New York is one of the toughest in the world. While artists stay locked in their studios creating works of inspiration, the industry of ‘the arts’ whirs away creating the buzz that keeps it all relevant. After years of struggle Lally is finally making her gallery work. Her risk is paying off and she is finally able to support emerging artists and pay the bills. Never mind the occasional cost if the art is good and the buyers are excited. Patrick feels like he is teetering on the verge of something. It seems like everyone in the Sydney antiquities scene is suitably antique but maybe, with the right connections he can lower the age range. One big client is all he needs and there’s a new client with their eye on the handsome young associate  Lally and Patrick both know they have to do The Work to prove themselves. In their world success might as well be a synonym of sacrifice. They are together alone, until a chance meeting at a New York art conference throws them into each other’s orbits. If you’re familiar with Bri Lee’s non-fiction you are certain to be a fan of The Work. If you’re not familiar with Bri’s earlier books, well then have I got a reading list for you. The Work continues with the themes of Eggshell Skull and Who Gets to be Smart, exploring power and privilege; who has it and how they use it to perpetuate power dynamics in our world. For Lally and Pat, Lee inverts many common stereotypes; Lally is older, she’s got money while Pat is struggling. Lally commands respect while Pat is essentially a handsome nobody. All this serves to highlight the level of scrutiny that Lally puts herself through, wondering at the fragility of her position. Pat meanwhile works hard but essentially believes he will get there. As first they meet and then explore a transcontinental relationship we are treated to dynamic and vibrant dialogue that ranges from art history to the zeitgeist. There are some truly memorable moments as they spar with each other (and noone, not even the local community fundraiser is safe). The Work deals with a darker side of the glittering world Lally and Pat inhabit. As power is leveraged against people based on their sex, their background or even just for the hell of it, we are confronted with our world as a place where caprice and indifference rise to the level of assault. Shock and awe are vehicles for public affirmation and it can be hard to find anyone with any principles left. The Work is a striking, character driven exploration of the world of art, culture and the capital that drives it all. It asks questions of its characters and doesn’t flinch from their dark sides. I know I was rooting for a happy ending for Lally and Pat, but in the journey I found so much more as their lives clashed with the issues and ideas driving us today.