Drawn with a lighter touch than some of her heavily shaded black and white work from this period, the detail image of this work shows her deft skill at the use of pastel. The eye is led directly to the shaded faces, misted dark eyes, confused and lacking in confidence. The figures huddle next to a self-appointed Pied Piper, the pipe to his mouth yet he is not the leader. Does Margaret offer a warning with this work? Not to always follow the self-appointed leader?

The journey for Margaret continues with this work. One of the persistent themes is the need to travel, to pursue the paths in life that are presented to us. It is very similar to the work The Players (2001) which also presents a grouping of huddled figures, somewhat apprehensive, searching for their path, for someone to lead them. 

The work exemplifies Margaret’s ability to convey a narrative within a figurative grouping, to make clear that we are never to rest. The figures, tired and forlorn, continue to look to the horizon, determined not to give up. Margaret expressed her concerns regarding the computer age, the separation from the maker, the blandness of the age to be avoided. There is no doubt she warned of the quick fix, that it would not satisfy.  

References 

Isabel Hendriksen, Margaret Woodward: Inside Looking Out, Parramatta, Parramatta Heritage Centre, 2003, p.53.