When we spoke with fine artist Tony Luciani in 2016, his then 93-year-old mother Elia, who has dementia, had recently moved in with him.  Tony had just produced his book, “Mamma: In The Meantime,” a collection of photographs he’d taken of his mother, and while he juggled caring for her with making art, his mother began taking photographs with a point-and-shoot camera Tony bought for her, emerging as an artist in her own right.  In today’s episode, Tony gives us an update on his and Elia’s life. He tells us how his work has changed since we spoke in 2016 and what his mother’s life is like now, and he offers his views on why his photographs of Elia continue to be popular (her image recently graced the cover of Proto Magazine, a Time, Inc. publication of Massachusetts General Hospital).  Tony also talks about his and Elia’s dual exhibition at Ontario’s Durham Art Gallery, and what he wants people to see in his photographs of his mother.

Durham Art Gallery exhibitions: Tony’s exhibition |  Elia’s exhibition
Link to book “Mamma: In The Meantime” – M A M M A
Website for Tony’s paintings: www.tonyluciani.ca
Tony’s  Facebook page
Listen to Tony’s 2016 interview: “The Person I Am In My Head”

 

Proto Magazine cover

 

“The Mask of Self-Pity”

 

“I’m Not Half The Person I Used To Be”

 

“Hopscotch”

 

Tony and Elia

 

All photos courtesy of Tony Luciani.

Music: “Wandering Path” by Dlay | CC NY NC ND | Free Music Archive