Mezzanine explores gap in dreams, reality

Art enthusiasts and dreamers alike will be submerged in the gulf between sleep and reality in “Mezzmerizd: Dreaming Awake,” an exhibition mingling paintings with performance, circus and flow arts, movement and nature.

Both dreaming and reality will be laid bare in Mezzanine’s exhibition. Mezzanine, also known as Wendy Kowalski, an artist from Wilmington, explores not only the theme of dreaming as reality, but also the notion of art as a vehicle to a state of bliss.

An artist’s reception for the exhibit will be held on June 13 at the Carrboro ArtsCenter, featuring a fire troupe performance. Kowalski’s work will be on display from June 5 to June 30.

“It is a realm I get from transporting myself to in-between space, to a creative nonverbal plane that is kind of behind the scenes of our everyday lives. It’s just a matter of accessing it through art or through a loved one,” she said.

The ocean has also been a powerful source of inspiration for her. The ambiguous split between air and water take form in her paintings as the blurred line between dreaming and reality.

“It’s all one big environment,” Kowalski said.

Her other source of inspiration comes from flow and circus performers. Kowalski, who is trained in hoop and stilt dances as well as aerial, incorporates these experiences into her works with lines that conjure up the dynamics of flow, colors and brushstrokes that whirl, float, swivel and suspend.

Daniel Crabtree, also known as Sneaky McFly and a performer with the Unifire Theater , has been a subject of Kowalski’s portraits in the past. The company has been invited by Kowalski to perform at the exhibit’s reception.

“We use all the traditional fire arts, from New Zealand to Tahiti, and a lot of the times we tell a story with the fire,” he said. “Fire itself is an awakening.”

The exhibit will also feature the debut of Cirqusoria, three performers that will combine circus acts to tell a story.

Serena Leonard, a member of the team, said they have prepared a new production, “Dreaming Deeply,” to accompany the gallery’s theme for its June 18 champagne reception.

The act was inspired by lucid dreaming, Leonard said. She said it’s about recognizing how each person’s dreams are tied to the the world and the people in it. “Nobody has success with their dreams, without other’s people’s happiness about,” she said.

Heather Gerni, gallery coordinator at the ArtsCenter, said she approached Kowalski about displaying her work in Carrboro after seeing her pieces at various art festivals.

“She’s a true visionary artist that has found the perfect combination of impressionist, classic and traditional art with her own unique, contemporary style,” Gerni said.

Contact the desk editor at  arts@dailytarheel.com.