Page 19 - The Faces

EMMANUELLE TOURNOIS
French artist Emmanuelle Tournois explained her take on the local scene and her experience as young artist in New York.
When and how did you started your career in art?
I started as an artist by working on large scale mosaics for swim- ming pools in France and the surrounding countries. It was a great experience and from there I found my inner urge to create and I guess one thing led to another.
What made you pursue a career in art and why in New York?
Even tough I completed a Master of Science in Finance, I always knew I wanted to be a visual artist. Even when filing for US busi- ness schools and universities, I answered to the question “what would like to do later” with “decorate swimming pools”. I moved to New York because in France my art style is labelled as old-fash- ioned - it is realistic. However, here it is not labeled in such a way. But being a self-taught person in the art field, and lacking the fash- ionable artsy vocabulary, was not helping me in France either.
What would you describe as the best part of your career?
I am not sure! Maybe my series on Jazz and RAP musicians, or my last mosaics, one in pennies, one in bricks. But I wouldn’t want to limit it down to particular works actually. The best part is definite-
[19]