The Goods from Ian Tan Gallery

Vancouver, BC | In this new monthly series, the Ian Tan Gallery highlights one exhibiting artist or artist they represent, by asking them to answer a short four-question interview designed to introduce them to Scout readers.

Meet Emilie Fantuz, Ian Tan Gallery’s feature artist for the month of August…

Please (briefly) introduce yourself. Who are you, where do you live, and what is your medium?

My name is Emilie Fantuz, I live in Vancouver B.C. My husband and I just finished renovating a live/work art studio in Mount Pleasant. My medium is oil on canvas and I use palette knives to apply the paint.

We know it’s hard to pick a favourite, but if you had to choose one piece from the works you have at Ian Tan Gallery to best represent your style and practice overall, which would it be and why?

Currently, I would say that my favourite is my painting titled, “West 4th Car Wash”. I enjoy depicting familiar but overlooked everyday scenes around Vancouver as painting subjects and I strive to bring out the beauty in these unexpected places. Many of my paintings are at night. I especially enjoy capturing the neon signs around Vancouver and the colourful glow that they bring to the night sky.

If you could display your art in any building, establishment, or other place in Vancouver (not a gallery), where would you choose?.

In Michigan, where I am originally from there was a wonderful program that reproduced works of art and placed them in various areas outdoors within the communities. I would like my work to be displayed this way in a Vancouver public park, such as Dude Chilling Park in my neighbourhood. What I like about this idea, is it makes art accessible to more people and brings oil painting (which can only be displayed inside) into a new setting. When people visit a park, they are often relaxed and are able to move at a slower pace. This means that they may have a moment to really enjoy and take in a piece of artwork.

Art is a visual experience, but I’d like to challenge you to describe yours using the less obvious senses: sound, taste, smell and feeling.

You can almost hear the hum of the neon lights as you stand near the Car Wash on West 4th. It is late and the night is quiet, the hustle and bustle of the day has subsided and it is peaceful. The night is clear and you can smell the freshness in the air from the rain that has finally relented. There is something that causes you to pause and take in a feeling that is mixture of calm and curiosity.

View more of Emilie Fantuz’s artwork online here.

Ian Tan Gallery

Neighbourhood: South Granville

2655 Granville St.

604-738-1077

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