Susan Schenk: Artist's Statement

I discovered that collage is a wonderful way to wake up the sleeping artist within. Anyone who can rip paper can make a collage. The challenge is to see that collages are unique individual expressions, just like the artists are. I am exploring a range of subjects without a political agenda, welcoming the technical challenge of making realistic renderings from recycled materials.

I enjoy making something attractive from discards, appropriating images and putting them together in intriguing ways. My goal as an artist is to let my work bring joy to the viewer. Like any artist, I am especially thrilled when my work calls to a viewer to come closer and spend some time engaged in the piece. While my pictorial collages are best viewed from a distance, a close up inspection can reveal a very different piece of art.