Artist Statement Encounters with animals have been the focus of my work for many years. Human beings and animals seem to exist in parallel universes, but now and again, we glimpse one another and our otherwise separate existences overlap. For me, there is always a frisson of excitement when this occurs, and my work is an expression of this frozen moment and its inherent wonder, humility, delight, mystery, and recognition. The animals in much of my work are specific individuals, and they are always animals I’ve spent some time with. For me, animals invoke wonder, humor, connection, and love—I am drawn into their parallel worlds. I’ve always been interested in mark-making, surface, color, experimentation, series, and both the ephemeral and gritty qualities of collage and paper. An article in Art News (6/10/2020) describes paper as “a disobedient medium with primordial powers… making art out of fragile, resilient paper in some sense means making art about fragility and resilience in the real world.” Susan LeVan January 2023