ARTIST STATEMENT
I try to stay out of politics, but when those in power overstep their legal and moral boundaries for their own personal benefit and hurt the citizens of this country, it’s difficult to do nothing. Though each of us may feel powerless, we can effect change in small ways, every day, by making our voices heard. Art can bring us together in collective resistance. However, in this extremely divided landscape where friends and family may have widely differing viewpoints, it’s tempting to keep our opinions to ourselves and not make waves, but we must have a dialog in order to find common ground. Art is a place for the conversation to begin. Though the problems with Social Security may not lie entirely with a corrupt government, the fact does exist that when I am finally able to retire in ten years, there may be nothing left in the coffers. Social Security is not an “entitlement.” It’s a promise made by our government. They will collect taxes from us while we work ourselves to death throughout our lifetimes, so that when we’re old, we’ll have a little money on which to live. The revocation of this promise is the inspiration for this piece.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Mary Senter is a multidisciplinary artist who creates in a cabin in the woods on the shores of Puget Sound. Her stories, essays, photographs, poetry, and graphic narratives can be found in North American Review, Gulf Stream, Exposition Review, Paper Dragon, Drunk Monkeys, Ponder Review, Cleaver, and elsewhere. Her work has been supported by ArtsWA and nominated for Best of the Net. She served as the graphic designer for Crab Creek Review and is the founder of Milltown Press.
© Mary Senter