8.04.2010

My encounter with Sara Angelucci


Sara Angelucci, Marianne/Fire, 2000, c-print mounted on aluminum
and laminated, CCCA.

Today I met Sara Angelucci, who is a well-known Toronto-based photographer. I am aware of her work because for a period of time I was trying to familiarize myself with the photographers listed on the website of the Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art. I was pleased when I saw that she had selected my favourite photograph of hers to put on her business card.

Anyway, she came in to the library at the Art Gallery of Hamilton to do research on her next project, and since that is where I work I had the opportunity to talk to her. It was exciting! She told me that she had dinner on Saturday with the very person whose photography is the focus of my thesis: Edward Burtynsky! She told me that beginning September 16th there will be an exhibition of Burtynsky's photographs at the Nicholas Metivier Gallery in Toronto, and it will include his latest work on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico alongside his shipbreaking series from Bangladesh. I can't WAIT to see this.

Then my boss, Tobi, who is the curator of Canadian historical art, came in and invited me to have lunch with her and Sara. It was thrilling! We ate at the Café at AGH, which has delicious, fresh, and beautiful food that is made with much love. Helena, who owns the Café, is extremely passionate about food--healthy, organic food specifically. Well, it turns out that Sara and Tobi really love talking about food, too, because that's all we talked about the entire lunch.

Sara told us that when she was in Urbino, Italy, she ate pasta that was so delicious that she started to cry. Tobi said that when she was on vacation--I can't remember where--she and her friend discovered a hut that offered the most divine combination of chicken, rice, peas, and beans. They would drink on the beach and then stumble over to the hut to eat that dish--everyday, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Helena told us that when she and her husband went to La Cantina in Hamilton for their anniversary, she sent her order back twice. Just moments earlier Tobi had recommended La Cantina to Sara. After hearing Helena's story, Tobi advised Sara not to go there, and Sara replied that she never will.

2 comments:

  1. You lucky girl - what a wonderful encounter! I'm sure you were over the moon...with good reason. That photo is beyond words...how did she take it?

    I can definitely imagine crying with joy over a delicious plate of pasta in Italy...but a plate of chicken, rice, peas and beans I'm not so sure of, LOL! I too shall never go to La Cantina.

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  2. I should have asked her how she took it, but I hesitated because what if it's, like, common knowledge for art people?!

    La Cantina is going to lose sooo much business because of my post! Hahaha!

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