Photography by Megan Mumford
What stands out about Lawrence Barisic’s labyrinthine Saratoga apartment isn’t the eclectic collection of artwork that covers every square inch of wall space—it’s the warmth with which he opens its doors to friends new and old. But the artwork—which he has painstakingly restored, researched, catalogued, and returned to its original frame—is pretty exceptional, too. In December, we caught up with the Wesley Community’s residential service coordinator to learn all about it.
This building, located at Saratoga’s Five Points intersection, is kind of iconic. Do you know any of its history?
It’s an old Victorian building. Currently it’s two stories, but in its day, it boasted three stories and a very crazy Victorian roof with angled slopes going in every direction. Rumor has it that someone left a candle lit on the third story and that it fell to fire. The other story I’ve heard, and which sounds much more realistic, was that the roof and third story had to be dismantled because ice and snow slides posed threats to the pedestrians below.
How’d you wind up living here?
My parents are from the Bronx—that great melting pot. When I was 2, my mother moved here to raise my sister and me outside of the urban chaos. When I was young, I couldn’t wait to leave Saratoga. I made my home in Manhattan and Miami. After the death of my husband, I returned to Saratoga in 2004. Now, I can’t imagine living anywhere else in the world. The city is my heart.
What’s the thought process behind your apartment’s décor?
My design aesthetic currently is cohesive chaos. There are 18th century lithographs juxtaposed with Japanese wood carvings and Warhol prints. I’ve returned to my Manhattan-style apartment where, with limited space, everything must go up.
How can you tell if a piece will fit into this so-called cohesive chaos?
All of my artwork has been collected piece by piece. I frequent thrift stores, antique stores, and estate sales. I’d like to say I’m driving this car, but the artwork speaks to me.
What’s your favorite piece in your collection?
There are two. One is a Tree of Life made by a Pakistani girl who volunteered for me. She gave it to me very humbly and said, “I know you have very expensive art, but I wanted to celebrate you; I know this doesn’t compare, but I hope you like it.” It is an incredibly beautiful piece with spirals of string to make the tree on a brilliant yellow backboard. The other piece that means the world to me is a 1922 caricature lithograph of Broadway actress Mary Nash. It was a gift from my father for my last birthday. When I opened it, my jaw dropped. I looked at him and said, “You really get me!”
You’ve created something of a gallery. Is there a way for the public to see it?
I open my home for viewing to benefit the Saratoga Senior Center; check with them to see when the next tour will be. For $20, you can see all of the artwork, and I’m here to answer questions. You can look through the catalogs, and there’s complementary wine and cheese. The $20 benefits the Saratoga Senior Center’s arts programming.
