INTERVIEW ROOM™ | SOPHIE TOULOUSE

Sophie Toulouse captures the beauty and uncertainty of life with her large-scale visual installations. Working from her studio in Paris, Toulouse is the quintessential digital artist, bringing lush graphic design to life on the stark white walls of galleries the world over. We took a moment to speak with Sophie about her work ethic, bad habits, and her ongoing Nation of Angela project.

Q: What initially attracted you to art and how has it kept your attention?

It's tough to know, my father definitely pointed it out to me then it followed its own path.

Q: How would you explain and describe your work to a blind man?

[Ornate], graphic, layered, [and] detailed.

Q: What do you see as the purpose of the artist in contemporary society?

Therapy.



Q: What is a normal workday like for you?

I work two hours at a time, rarely more. Then I go off for a walk or a chat or whatever I feel like doing. That's extreme luxury to me. I don't have [a] dime [to] my name but I feel free.

Q: What tools do you use to do your art?

Mostly [Adobe] illustrator.



Q: What do you hope to convey through your illustrations?

I hope to surprise and entertain.



Q: Could you discuss the Nation of Angela: what it is, when it was founded, the concept behind it?

N.o.A (Nation of Angela) is a utopian island where communal ideals coexist with fashion, glamour, and luxury.

N.o.A is a lost paradise, a utopia both on a personal and political level.
It's inspired by Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle, Guy Debord, it is the post-spectacle.
It's about the question 'What are you doing after the orgy' (Baudrillard; what is there to do when you can have it all).

The project started in 2001, on the Frying Pan [in] NYC—a boat at the Chelsea Pier [where] people would sign up to become citizens (super-model citizens of the superficial fabulousness).



Q: What influences and inspires you?

Victorian style, punk, art deco, pop art, etc.

Q: Would you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist?

I'm a fairly happy pessimist



Q: Do you have any bad habits?

I find balance extremely boring.

Q: How do you translate your work from computer to gallery wall?

With a lot of money



Q: Your work is both beautifully dense yet also conveys a hauntingsense of reality. Do you try to convey specific themes in your work?

I think I've been working mostly on the culture of image and how to deal with it.

Q: What role does environment (i.e. urban vs. rural, indoor vs.outdoor, etc.) play in your creative process?

It has a direct influence on my drawings and my ideas (colors, themes, etc.)



Q: What projects are you currently working on?

I'm working on my next wallpaper and on an animation for another group show, at the institute of contemporary arts of fribourg, fri-art. It will still be on and about the Nation of Angela.



Q: You've shown your work in many galleries and group shows. What experiences were your most memorable?

The first show I ever had. I can't believe I pulled it off (I seriously kicked ass!)

Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I already chose my wall at the MoMA!

For further information about Sophie Toulouse, visit her website: www.sophietoulouse.com