Fragrance blogs are reporting today that New York’s Museum of Arts and Design is creating a Center of Olfactory Art dedicated to the art of fragrance. Author and New York Times columnist Chandler Burr will curate the exhibitions and programs. You can read more at Now Smell This, Perfume Shrine, 1000 Fragrances, and Cafleurebon. Exciting to have fragrance recognized as an art form in this way!
And Winter Woods is in Part One of the 2010 holiday wish list on the blog Fragrance Belles-Lettres. Thanks for including Winter Woods in your holiday list, Felicia!
2 comments
I have always believed that fragrance is an art form, and I feel that several factors have contributed to its lack or recognition as such. It cannot be reproduced electronically. Its ephemeral nature limits the number of people who can actually experience a particular scent, and the number of times you can experience a particular bottle of scent. It is invisible, so you cannot point to a particular detail of interest, as one can do with visual arts, or even printed music. Furthermore, the sense of smell is the sense most subject to fatigue. Your eyes do not become numb because you have looked at a lot of paintings, but your nose can easily cease to function properly after sniffing a number of perfumes. Nevertheless, perfumery is the equal other art forms in its ability to speak to us on a deep emotional level. I have often been as profoundly moved by a beautiful fragrance as by a beautiful melody or a beautiful painting.
Thanks for the very thoughtful post, 50_Roses! In addition to being invisible and subject to fatigue, a scent is also variable in how we each experience it on our skin and by our differing scent receptors — it’s very personal. And yes, it can evoke strong emotions for me too.