The following material references the following.  Petelin, G 2013, The context survey, PowerPoint presentation, Griffith University, Brisbane, found at https://bblearn.griffith.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_3_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_7500_1%26url%3D

In the interests of fair and equitable record keeping, here are my thoughts from the Visual Arts Methods lecture and confirmation seminars:

What is important in terms of assessment is what knowledge I can contribute to the public sphere.  My contribution is ‘original’ if it:

•             Presents new insights or throws doubt on existing assumptions
•             Extends existing concepts
•             Reorganizes existing knowledge
•             Applies existing knowledge to new tasks
•             Adapts old concepts to new conditions
•             Adapts concepts from another field to your own discipline

I think I will be most inclined to:

• Throw doubts on existing assumptions – There are still common beliefs that comics are a juvenile medium, that the construct is limited and has no room in an increasingly technology dominated future.  I will counter these beliefs with my own arguments
• Extend existing concepts  – I have learned about codes and conventions in my Honours year, I will attempt to explore them fully in my studio practice and attempt to push the limits of what has been done previously

Here are some intelligent words I need to learn to use in a sentence where possible:

Ontology– Theory about the nature of reality that guides further research.  My ontology is that life is a series of events that may be construed in a variety of ways.  Perception is the key definer.  This ontology leads me to believe that the way style, prose and format in which a narrative is depicted will lead to differently perceived readings.

Epistemology- Criteria for determining the validity of knowledge.  I need to read a lot of academic articles to find accepted theorems that validate my beliefs.  This will result in divergent processes, where I generate multiple ideas, to a convergent process later on, wherein I select a narrower scope of ideas to focus on.

It has become clear that I need to become active member in my arts community, which means I need to curtail my previously insular art production and limited exhibition.  This includes putting my work within a context of contemporaries– people representing a range of positions regarding my research question.

Is there a central theme running through the artist’s works within my contemporaries?  I will be required to compare this theme as it is represented throughout my canon.

Part of the process of contextualisation involves identifying an Ideal type that allows for all autobiographical novels.  This process is called ‘Induction’- seeing patterns.  This data collection will take place on a spreadsheet with the following titles:

These categories are fairly broad and I’ll probably need to subdivide them further.

Thoughts from watching the Confirmation seminars:

• I need to ensure that the studio work directly feeds the research question
• ‘Chasing shadows’- one of the assessors used this term and I think I will use it somewhere
• Have unfamiliar terms been defined? What is autobiography?  What is this process of reflection?
• How does the DVA follow on from my Honours work?
• Summary- what have I learned, what have I proven, what do I expect to come?