{"id":36352,"date":"2016-11-06T14:43:43","date_gmt":"2016-11-06T19:43:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artoronto.ca\/?p=36352"},"modified":"2016-11-25T20:50:26","modified_gmt":"2016-11-26T01:50:26","slug":"sara-angelucci-arboretum-at-stephen-bulger-gallery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/v2.artoronto.ca\/?p=36352","title":{"rendered":"Sara Angelucci: Arboretum at Stephen Bulger Gallery"},"content":{"rendered":"

Arboretum: Fusing of man and nature <\/strong><\/p>\n

Environmental issues dominate Angelucci\u2019s Inkjet photography series entitled Arboretum. <\/em>Expanding on Aviary<\/em>, Angelucci\u2019s previous series concerning extinct birds, Arboretum<\/em> addresses the current state of deforestation. Befitting the exhibition\u2019s concept, arboretum, Latin in origin, refers to a place grown with rare trees. By thematically linking the title, the photographs and her environmental philosophy, Angelucci\u2019s Arboretum<\/em> dissolves the polarity of man and nature, and decisively subordinates humans to trees.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Man\/Woman\/Pines, 2016 \u00a9 Sara Angelucci \/ Courtesy Stephen Bulger Gallery<\/p>\n

Most pieces in Arboretum<\/em> challenges the traditional notion of man taming nature, instead nature dominates the composition of the photographic pieces as seen in Boy\/Double Ash. <\/em>The man on the ephemera is faintly visible, with his two hands grabbing and leaning on a wooden post and lintel. His face and legs are almost unrecognizable. The nature \u2013trees, leaves, branches \u2013overshadow the human, who, in fact, functions as if a backdrop or a landscape. Interestingly nature\u2019s subordinated role on carte-de-visite or even Leonardo da Vinci\u2019s Mona Lisa is reversed by Angelucci; now nature is the main subject matter.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Boy\/Double Ash, 2016 \u00a9 Sara Angelucci \/ Courtesy Stephen Bulger Gallery<\/p>\n

In Man\/Poplar<\/em>, there is only an indistinct silhouette of a human superimposed by overgrown trees. The entire piece is filled with greenery, making it difficult to discern the human. This, too, concentrates on bringing nature into the fore, it is no longer a mere decorative backdrop or a random image of trees. In fact, all the nature seen in the exhibition is the author\u2019s own photographs of indigenous trees of Ontario. Angelucci treats nature as the centre of her environmental pieces.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Man\/Poplar, 2016 \u00a9 Sara Angelucci \/ Courtesy Stephen Bulger Gallery<\/p>\n

What is all the more interesting is not only Angelucci\u2019s concentration on nature, but also the concept of superimposing old nineteenth\u2013century cabinet cards to current photographs of Ontarian trees. She integrates the old and the new to produce works that address issues of deforestation. Ironically, the dead seen in these photographs as if they are the trees themselves, awaiting to be chopped and killed for human benefit. This is clearly visible in Sister Elms<\/em>, which shows presumably two sisters, integrated with the trees in the foreground. The integration of trees and humans inexplicitly foretells the issues and harmful effects of deforestation not only on nature but also on humans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Sister Elms, 2016 \u00a9 Sara Angelucci \/ Courtesy Stephen Bulger Gallery<\/p>\n

In Arboretum<\/em>, Angelucci captures nature with humans and integrates the old and the new. She raises awareness and informs the viewers of deforestation, all the while creating a new way of photographing and printing, and combining them to manufacture a creative series of photographs.<\/em><\/p>\n

Katerina Bong<\/p>\n

*Exhibition information: October 22 – November 19, 2016,\u00a0Stephen Bulger Gallery, 1026 Queen Street West, Toronto. Gallery hours: Tue \u2013 Sat, 11 am \u2013 6 pm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Katerina Bong<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most pieces in Arboretum challenges the traditional notion of man taming nature, instead nature dominates the composition of the photographic pieces<\/p>\n

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