17 Years

Anderson Rhodes Gallery, New Plymouth, New Zealand, 2019

This exhibition explored the first 17 years of Novak’s life in Taranaki, living in the closet, and included work reflecting the erosion of the body, mind, and spirit under societal pressure.

“The surface plane [of the paintings] belies the process of building up and stripping back from which each work emerges; an amalgam of gestures that presents a cohesive whole. For Shannon, these paintings represent the human body. At its base, a physicality - the structure onto which our characteristics and essence lie. Yet other layers form - the issues, the expectations, the labels, the assumptions - that can subsume, bury or muddy that essence. The theme of sublimation is a constant, be that of personality or sexuality as society dictates”.

Catherine Rhodes, Gallery Director.