REVERIE UNDER THE STAIRS

Reverie Under The Stairs is inspired by my mother’s persistence that I “clear out my things” from underneath her basement stairs. To my resistance, I think of subterranean spaces like these as a place where things of the past are safe and preserved, but also, maybe, forgotten. Left to the dust and the darkness, embedded like stones of memory deep in the caverns of our mind, sometimes finding their way to the surface, sometimes not. We continue on in our lives but we hold on too. And as these memories wait, they take on a dream of their own collection.

In my mind the space beneath the stairs has a small passage. You must climb through it—narrow and dark—opening to a cavern glistening black rock.  The sound of water droplets fall as rainbow prisms of light suspended in glass. Each memory, each moment nested in rock like time encapsulated crystals. You must chisel away—unearthing a mirage of the past, dancing a dream of light and color that are these forms and images.

In consideration of this display like a collection of poems, the titles are an important aspect—completing a daydream or maybe beginning anew.  

Lisa Kolarcsik: images, sculpture.

Patrick Joaquim: glass.

LISA KOLARCSIK is a poet and artist working primarily in sculpture, photography and various paint mediums.  A New Jersey native, she sees the world as a poem written in shapes and colors, light and dark. A world learned best by way of a good walk or conversation. A gesture, a sound—a line, a shadow—a dream, an imagination.  Her work preserves a chance in time, a moment turned memory of the many spaces and places she has lived and traveled.  Some fleeting feeling of an eternal song—a song that is joy and grief, wonder and fear, laughter, sorrow, hope, love and forgiveness. A song we know well but sometimes forget, and so it helps to be reminded. She teaches Jivamukti Yoga locally and is a Waldorf Teacher, though currently on hiatus, she continues to work with children, sharing her love of art and the outdoors with other little beings. Instagram: @__thrfitfoget

PATRICK JOAQUIM is a local glassblower who works with borosilicate glass.  He has a range of work, specializing in functional glass art while also taking to sculpture, glassware and ornaments during the holiday season.  He draws on lines and colors inspired by the scenic views from his Highlands neighborhood and bike rides through beloved Hartshorne Woods.  When not in the studio you can find him just down the road, working as a bike mechanic at Highlander Bike Shop, or walking his fox dog, Ruby The Red, around town. Instagram: @blacktglass