Artists Statement:
My original thought for the title of this work was `Ecstasy, Ecstasy they called, the good girls of theory and the bad girls of feeling, on the road to Damascus' - it was a bit too long but it did reflect the dichotomy experienced within the feminist movement and the somewhat mirrored division in the art world for women artists. Theory or practice, visual forms or issues? How to manage our drive for economic stability through our art work and maintain a capacity to fully provide in our family. This is a global schism - experienced by women artist around the world whether feminist or not, whether creating work that deals with women's issues or not. It's a complex interaction between aspirations and real limitations. How do we describe ourselves - is our persona of artist, woman, feminist political? Who creates that political construct? Is it ourselves - our subjectivity, our individualism, our consciousness, or, our expressionism - the production of our artwork? Nothing is static of course but it seems to me that as women and women artists we continue to experience being `other' we seem to be consistently reduced to being `different'.

Artists Statement:
Feminism - equal rights for women. The egg is a symbol of the development of a woman, physical intellectual and spiritual, hence the division of the egg into three parts. The title 'Incubate’ refers to favourable conditions for development. The life force contained in the egg cannot be seen, like the future life of what is inside and growing. When a woman develops respect for herself, feminism is a natural consequence.

Artists Statement:
The skirt a symbol of female sexual identity carries the flow of menstrual blood off the page. The loss of blood a constant reminder of the biology and reproduction power of a menstruating women. The hidden face an image of potential children lost each month through ovulation and bleeding. The image is part of a series called "Loss" and is a digital manipulation of a slide from a cyanotype project called "Past Presence", a project initiated when my daughter was diagnosed with a terminal illness. With both projects I am exploring the sensory and emotional qualities of garments and textiles owned and worn by woman in my family. We are a family of woman whose love of textiles link the generations with the preserving of new and old garments. The skirt was worn by myself when I was 18 nubile and very fertile now 48 and sterile from a hysterectomy operation performed during the creation of the "Past Presence" project the resulting image has intense personal meaning. The LOST element of the image very poignant, since the death of my daughter in March 2003.

Artists Statement:
I was keen to explore the assumptions and definitions of feminism within contemporary society. There are diverse and contradictory positions and beliefs about feminism surrounding me, and spilling from billboards and television programs. A variant edition was my response to this diversity. Much bubbles to the surface when I consider what a feminist voice still means in my everyday life. I also included a transcript of `helpful' advice I was given by an older woman earlier this year. It is deliberately back the front - not anything I will swallow. But very much still present in the media and Australian culture.

Artists Statement:
The piece will have as its visual focus the ancient practice of Chinese foot binding. I am using it as a metaphor of womens objectification and bondage throughout history. The chinese text is extracted from the human right convention and pertains to the individuals right to liberty. The watercolour wash which is used to represent the idea of randomness and adventure in contrast to the condition of social oppression and constriction which these children and women experienced.

Artists Statement:
Images of femme fatal have been inspiration for the image. Where is the Renaissance Woman! Renaissance woman -started the journey but where is it going in Twenty First century. Is it still a journey or is it a challenge to reach for the reality of what women would like for their lives. In Twenty First Century is equality for women myth or reality..!!! Inspiration for the image comes from the reality of women as part of a patriarchal society. The invisible glass ceiling that exists in many areas of corporate and society genre in general; this alters the potential that females can hope to achieve. The options to achieve whatever they desire in all parts of their lives are fragmented, and sometimes overlooked in a patriarchal society. Is this the challenge?

Artists Statement:
This lino print entitled `The Cycle of Equality' is about the changes that have emerged in recent years, in relation to a `woman's role'. The opportunity to enter the workforce as an equal comes with increased pressures, women are now expected to `do it all' - raise a family, look after the home as well as provide an income. Within the current economic climate it is very difficult to support a family and pay off a mortgage on a single income. This creates a cycle for women whereby a choice is necessary. Do I focus on my career? Will I be leaving it too late to start a family? Can I juggle the two? The stress of the many varied roles are showing on this modern mother. The Iraqi surrogate mothers watch on in dismay. Their sole valued role was to protect and comfort young children on their journey to the after world. The pressures placed on modern women include gaining an education and having a career whilst at the same time fulfilling the traditional role of wife and mother. Women who are university educated have to contend with HECS fees, often for the entirety of their working lives, due to maternity leave, parental leave and often working on a part-time basis, because they are juggling work with family commitments. The tiny alabaster substitute mothers with their large inlaid shell eyes were placed in the coffins of young children around 6000BC in ancient Tell es-Sawwan. In this print the figurines represent the changing values in the role of the mother. Although women have seemingly gained equality in the workforce and in terms of education, they are almost always the primary carers in families, providing the nurturing and caring role. Therefore, paid work has not replaced unpaid work within the house; women are still responsible for the bulk of the day-to-day chores involved in maintaining a home and family. The modern mum is surrounded by ancient and modern symbols. The serpent represents the power of life, fertility, rebirth, and healing. The feminine identity symbolised by the comb and mirror. The wedding bands the commitment to her family. The clock and the H.E.C.S. fees are symbols of modern living, the pressure of maintaining order and punctuality in the family home.