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Got a full grid, but mystified as to what, if anything, it is supposed to represent. How 16a is 2 words is baffling me.

Hi gitto,
If you have everything in place it shoud depict a work mentioned in one of the answers

The fact that 16a is two words is the key to the whole thing. Perhaps google the puzzle title and one of the across answers.

Thanks muraria and Buddy, got it now. I initially thought that this was nigh on impossible, but the bottom of the grid proved to be my way into this puzzle.

What an odd, but ultimately satisfying, puzzle.

I was initially in the same boat as gitto, but a kind of pattern began to emerge. I have to own that the hint here (for which thanks) to google the title along with a critical across solution gave a clunking PDM. It still took a lot of work to achieve the correct grid. An enjoyable three hour solve.

Big thank you to Nathan Panning.

I made an assumption about symmetry which held me up for a while but got there in the end. A satisfying crossword, with a bit more to it than first met the eye.

I rather enjoyed that. It was a bit different. I was helped by the fact that 1a was my first solved and that rather piqued my interest given the puzzle title, then when I got down to 16a I thought 'Ahah!'. Took a while to get the arrangement of the entries sorted and 11d only got solved at the very end. 'Zap' = ???....really? Hmm.

(11d Gardeners' tools zap ticks (6)).

I was somewhat baffled by this to begin with - things were going in quite easily, but without any apparent justification. Having finally spotted the significance of 16a, it's nicely obvious (although I was previously unaware of the theme).
It's always satisfying to finish, and to learn something as well!

However, I am left wondering if there is any significance in the setter's name.

i know the theme, but am struggling to make headway (or know what i am aiming at).

Can someone help with:

9) Shrink to catch bond (8)
22) artistically hung ribbons irritated (10)
17) expulsion from several quarters (5)

Thanks in advance