Art is defined as the process or product of deliberately
arranging elements in a way to affect the senses or emotions. In this regard, Nora Novak’s work, Art Damaged, is in itself a work of
art.
Nora Novak packs so much straight talking womanly wisdom
into each sentence, complete with an uncanny amount of name dropping. Designers, delicacies, destinations and
desires all are woven together into a tapestry of storytelling. It took me a moment to realize “Bloomies” was
the nickname for Bloomindales, but once you get the vernacular of Novak’s
style, you settle back, kick off your Prada’s and fill a Baccarat crystal glass
of Tattinger, and take in her fine literary talent.
Working as a receptionist in an Orange County, or OC as it’s
called, art museum, Nina, the main character is subjected to the currents of
the egos, prestige and personalities of the rich and famous, as well as the
not-so-rich and want-to-be famous. The
pressures of success in the art world, the sexy undercurrents of social
gatherings, and the creative forces which drive the industry are revealed in a
way only those with the keys and alarm codes to museums understand. Nora Novak takes you behind the façade of
faux barriers, to the real people who hang around the world of exhibitions and
private showings. As birds of a feather
flock together, the lure of an Andy Warhol brings talented artisans into one
room like a lantern in the woods attracts insects.
Nina has her entourage of men, being a natural beauty and
knowing how to use her God given sex appeal. Each provides a piece of her satisfaction, becoming a tile in her mosaic
of creating a fulfilling life. She is
underemployed as a receptionist, as her talent and ambition of becoming an
acclaimed painter is far greater, yet the proximity to the culture lures her to
her desk each morning. What unfolds, in
what seemingly would be a dull and dreary existence, is anything but boring, as
the depth of human desires entangle a web of deceptions and murder. Embellished with detail similar to the
ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Nora Novak brushes her strokes of words over her
canvas of paper. Written in a
contemporary style, she masterfully creates characters which are credible,
sensitive and vulnerable – real people in a surreal culture.
A bit abstract in style, Nora Novak has definitely emerged as
an author with a unique voice. Her book
of just over 200 pages is framed in her cover art which I shall leave to your
own interpretation. After all, that’s
the thing about art, it means something unique to each of us.
Buy this book at Amazon.com
