Spirits of the Empty Pool

Spirits Of The Empty Pool

There was an old pool in our backyard. It was abandoned and overgrown, tiny ocean-blue tiles were chipping off the wall like parts of an ancient fresco in a forgotten tomb. Back in the old days the sliding roof used to come over the pool while the white chairs and tables hiding underneath joyfully embraced and squeezed the bottoms of the laughing guests. Champagne was flowing over the tanning bodies and music echoed around swaying between the tree trunks surrounding the guesthouse. That was the one and only party that happened in that pool. Somebody during the event pointed out the Electric Man levitating over the marvelous blue water. The Electric Man was devilishly smiling and smacking his lips, luring the guests into the water with the dappled light bouncing of his disco-ball jacket all over the place. Having noticed the hovering man’s dangerous presence, fanfares went “bwah-wah-waaah!”. Stop the music! Stop the drinks! Who has invited him to our secret party? The pool was drained immediately, and everyone left in a rush.

The guests never returned, and the pool had been empty for many years, collecting pollen and leaves, giving temporary shelter to the small animals and sun beams coming through the foliage in the middle of the hot day. There were others who also considered the empty pool their home - the passing Spirits enjoyed stopping by to spend a night or two, but then lost in relaxing thoughts found a quiet crack between the cool tiles and stayed for much longer. Their Spirit Queen, Elbizabeth the Round, often gave her midnight speeches to the subjects about the Black Hole’s melodious sound and the latest observations through the Ga! Kaleidoscope. There were also guest-spirits who visited the ones who stayed in the pool. They usually brought with them a fresh supply of city dust and desert sand. Mixed together, they became the ingredients of the spirits’ favorite drink, which flowed through their ethereal bodies and trickled down onto a heavy dry bottom of the pool. Next time you see a spray of old dust and crumbles bursting from a crack of an old wall - remember that it is a spirit living in that crack drank a shot of dust juice celebrating life, death, and memories.

I like this empty pool, it’s nice to sit in the middle of it and look up - at the old disconnected and discarded Electric Man, at the clouds, who have seen him on that one and only dramatic party night; the dirty soft cheeks of the off-white furniture are now overgrown with vines, and the dust is still being generously splashed by the tipsy spirits. “Cheers” I say, and a nice thought tickles my head behind the right ear. (July, 2023)

Nadezda is a painter, concept artist, photographer, sculptor, and poet. Her artwork is focused on narratives carefully gathered from the hidden chambers of her imagination as well as live theater - inspired work with actors, dancers, and models. Like a quilt stitched of poetic realities, Nadezda’s mysterious world defies the mundane. With a non - linear creative process flowing between different media, the artist explores various vantage points in her creations. Such a dynamic approach inspires her mind’s eye to focus on the worlds within and evoke an uninterrupted, creative transmission which is then channeled through her paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, writing and film.