Yvette has been missing her Monmartre balcony and "It misses me, too," she said, "We have a very unique relationship." While she was trying to explain it, we came upon a curious art gallery on Bergen Street: The Invisible Dog. "Sounds like a dangerous place for a couple of birds," I said. Yvette pulled me in mumbling something about "no appreciation for art."

We entered into a star-conspiracy of sorts because we were greeted by a cardinal-looking fellow floating on a dog leash. "Bonjour! My name is Pascal Effloresce and this is The Invisible Dog." I blinked a few times, trying to see the dog. Yvette seemed to recognize it immediately.

Pascal started showing us around the art center. I couldn't help thinking: seeing and understanding art can sometimes appear to be an obstacle. "Seeing takes more than your eyes," Pascal mused.

OBSTACLE by STEVEN AND WILLIAM LADD

Yvette saw some extraordinary textile lamps. She flew around them like a fairy reciting Helen Keller:

We differ, blind and seeing, one from another, not in our senses, but in the use we make of them, in the imagination and courage which we seek wisdom beyond our senses.

TEXTILE LAMPS by STEVEN AND WILLIAM LADD

Did you know this chandelier was made from found buckles left behind in the factory? Did you know chandelier is a French would that means "something that holds candles"?

MINI CHANDELIER by STEVEN AND WILLIAM LADD

This artist saw a universe made of canvas belts. What do you see the universe in?

FABRIC OF COSMOS by IAN TRASK

The distance from Purgatory to Heaven seemed more realistic when Pascal flew to the top of the industrial elevator shaft and began reading verses from Divine Comedy. Yvette and I agreed: Mr Alighieri would have enjoyed this.

CHARON by GIUSEPPE STAMPONE

We must have channeled Nino Frank because we saw a perfect opportunity to re-create a film noir scene in the basement. Two boys just can't pass up the chance to make a girl cry.

Once Yvette recovered, we flew back up to the main level to a sea of books. We took a few minutes thinking about the amount of art created from texts, poems, and books. Do you think writers are like muses for artists? Yvette shared another quote, this time by Annie Dillard:

She read books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live. She read books as one would breathe ether, to sink in and die.

JOB CREATION IN A BAD ECONOMY by ANTONIA WRIGHT AND RUBEN MILLARES [DETAIL]

How often do we misunderstand something because we don't see it from both sides?

TELPERION by ETHAN LONG [DETAIL]

Aren't you glad the French love their gardens?

When we swept back through the exhibit to see anything we missed, I realized I had gained a better understanding of art and of seeing. Sometimes seeing the invisible is important. Sometimes seeing things differently opens your eyes to providence.

I asked Pascal whom he would bring to the gallery if time and circumstance didn't matter. "My mother, (she passed away in 2003) just to have coffee with her everyday at 11:00am." As my eyes teared, they opened and the most magical / strange thing happened: I could see The Invisible Dog with Yvette and Pascal. "Let's get moving," called Pascal, "the croissants are calling!"

The Invisible Doga

51 Bergen Street

Brooklyn NY 11201

www.theinvisibledog.org