1. Thinking about… OUR BODY OF WORK David Fairbairn, Red portrait of Suzanne Archer, 2002

2. Work on a topic that MEANS something to you…that you feel strongly about, or are passionate about.. Carole Best, Thoughts immured, 2010

3. You need to work in the medium (‘expressive form’) you feel most confident with. This is not really the time to experiment with a new medium. It’s the time to focus on the task and do it as well as you can. He doesn’t mean you don’t experiment during the process. He means, if you’ve got some experience painting, don’t make the Body of Work all about sculpture. WHY? Because we’ve got a short timeframe and we’re working towards a specific goal.

4. (You may not feel good about ANY medium in particular!!! That’s fine…you have to choose something.) We can keep the actual theme simple. It doesn’t have to be some magnificent topic. It can be really simple…it becomes good by the thought you put into it and how you feel about it. Wendy Sharpe, Nudes

5. Using the frames to think about a theme… Subjective: What kind of person am I? Do I want to explore my relationships with friends or family? What do I like? Painful or difficult things I might want to express? Things that frighten or trouble me? What is my life about? What would I LIKE my life to be about? Can I imagine myself as someone else, somewhere else? Memories of the past? Friedrich, Monk by the Sea, c. 1809

6. Postmodern: Are there power structures I’d like to question? (Such as TAFE; family; government; religious; gender inequality ; political structures; ecological concerns.) Are there stories we are told that I’d like to upturn or challenge ? (for instance, ‘study hard and get a good job’.) Postmodernism states that there is no single truth…there are different truths for different people; different meanings. Kara Walker, installation detail

7. Structural: Am I interested in the formal qualities of art – that is, design, colours, shapes, composition, mark making? Am I interested in symbols; use of text and language; getting a message across? Do I want to explore a certain movement within art that I like; or a certain style of representation? (e.g.abtract; realistic; stylised.) Barnett Newman, Ulysses 1952

8. Cultural: Things I believe in? (Religion; personal beliefs or values); Issues of Nationality? (racism; asylum issues; refugees.) Current events that are significant to me? (War; environment issues; drug culture; crime; community issues; ) Technologies? History? Asylum seekers, SMH image

9. ARTISTS STATEMENTS – WHAT ARE THEY ABOUT?