tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81899766893498157012024-03-12T21:51:28.519-07:00Architecture of PerfumeThe Intersection of Architecture and Perfume TheoryMaggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-62963530228841596232016-06-20T20:42:00.001-07:002016-06-20T22:11:25.655-07:00Midsummer Night's Dreamer Brain<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Summer Solstice at Stonehenge</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The summer solstice was a sacred time in traditional cultures. In Medieval England it was considered mid-summer since May 1 marked the start of the season and agricultural year. Celebrating the summer solstice involved reveling all night, leaving little time for sleep, perchance to dream. Shakespeare’s famous play Midsummer Night’s Dream suggested the shortest night of the year was an opportunity to dream in a different way, to daydream, and lead oneself to revelations instead.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; text-align: start;">Oberon, Titania and Puck with Fairies Dancing</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif;"> by William Blake</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif;">, c.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; white-space: nowrap;"> 1786</span></span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In our culture, however, daydreaming has negative connotations. Derogatory terms such as “spaced out”, “clueless”, “living in La-La land”, “absentminded” come to mind. Doing nothing is considered unproductive and unnecessary and we’ve invented many ways to occupy every waking minute texting, checking emails, messaging and "staying in touch" through social media and other platforms. The pendulum has swung in the opposite direction, leaving us no down time at all.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic;">Contestants at this year's Space Out Competition. Photo by Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yet, there’s evidence to support the benefits of doing <a href="https://www.vice.com/read/doing-nothing-has-become-a-sport-in-south-korea" target="_blank">nothing</a>. For years scientists debated the need for sleep. Many contested the standard 8 hour period. We now know our bodies go through stages of sleep, all of which are necessary to ensure proper metabolic function. If we don’t get quality sleep, our bodies become stressed which affects all aspects of our life. Since there is a biological imperative for sleep, could there be a similar need for daydreaming?</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Buddhist monk meditating in a waterfall setting, Wikipedia</i></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The dreamer brain, like the creative urge is a trait we all share. Some are more in tune with their abilities than others. But sooner or later, we all succumb to the need to be alone with our thoughts, our meditations and our daydreams. While traditional meditation practices can help us enter altered states of consciousness, daydreaming gives our minds the freedom to wander and dawdle. There are no rules or discipline, just the space to drift while awake. This is where perfumes come in handy to help us relax and access our dreamer brain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">About 80% of our sensory input comes from vision while the other 20% is made up of hearing, smell, taste and touch combined. In addition, the other senses become more prominent when vision is impaired, especially smell. So is it possible to increase or enhance the olfactory experience by simply closing one’s eyes? We often close our eyes when we smell deeply. Could this be an instinctive way for us to shut down the visual so we can better discern and enhance the olfactory? It certainly helps one become more mindful of scent. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Scent can focus the mind, especially when taking exams. It can also help still the mind, like a mantra. In fact, it is so immediate and effective that it’s not even a conscious act. Which makes it an ideal way to encourage the dreamer brain through mindful olfaction.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">One technique is to simply sit with eyes closed, focusing on the presence or absence of scent. This can be especially effective outdoors where breezes waft odors which are detected when inhaling. But exhaling is just as important as it helps flush out excess molecules. By smelling quickly one can “scan” the olfactory landscapes and pick up different odors. This is very different from taking long deep breaths. It’s best to alternate between these two ways of breathing, allowing the mind to recognize when odors are absent versus the challenge of picking up a new scent. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Olfactory walks are another way for the dreamer brain to meditate on scent. Instead of closing the eyes completely, which can lead to tripping or falling, they can be closed halfway. This helps screen out extraneous visual cues, allowing the dreamer brain to focus. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Another exercise is to select a leaf or plant and inhale it repeatedly, gently pressing under the nose to release odor molecules. How does the scent change? Does it disappear? Do we smell new things?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We also smell with our eyes. Certain images can trigger scent memories; a juicy lemon, cherry blossoms, the ocean. Try smelling these things with the eyes closed and the experience will change dramatically. Odors that seem familiar suddenly become strange. Closing the eyes removes the frame of reference so that one has to “see” odors with the nose or "taste" them with the mouth. Our senses are interconnected, so we all have the capacity to experience the world synesthetically. It just takes a little work and awareness to experience this overlap of the senses. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The burning of incense is another way to stimulate the dreamer brain. This primal means of scenting space has been used for millennia by different traditions to enlighten the spiritual self. In fact, frankincense contains a psychoactive chemical constituent that actually alters one’s perception of reality and memory. Incense was the first perfume and the origin of the word meaning through smoke, per fumum in Latin. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The midsummer night solstice is the perfect time to open up the channels of the dreamer brain with scent. But it’s perfectly fine if you fall asleep...</span></div>
Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-58778068203453565842014-01-10T06:03:00.001-08:002014-01-22T12:25:02.426-08:00Belle Haleine: A Breath of Fresh Air<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJG_KTvKOrA10olJrKPtU9PYQn_NjNJCcTT3l4OkghEwtzNVY6OsVkzw4Hq1PRkG-lqmwn9fYNcPuZQTRGtSCj9bSiDTaUVj_x-gEtMkcyXW9kcOcfrSRFZuJBBi4LfI6aY_AT9lFowXw/s1600/perfume5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJG_KTvKOrA10olJrKPtU9PYQn_NjNJCcTT3l4OkghEwtzNVY6OsVkzw4Hq1PRkG-lqmwn9fYNcPuZQTRGtSCj9bSiDTaUVj_x-gEtMkcyXW9kcOcfrSRFZuJBBi4LfI6aY_AT9lFowXw/s1600/perfume5.jpg" height="200" width="138" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Marcel Duchamp’s readymade piece entitled “Belle Haleine” remains humorously enigmatic, a layered cultural critique that allows for multiple readings. Elements of the absurd, irony and visual puns run rampant in this piece. It is a puzzle and a puzzlement executed with the deft moves of a master chess player. Much has been written about this piece in an attempt to parse the words of its author, Rrose Selavy, Duchamp’s alter ego, but nothing from the point of view of the “perfume” itself.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The original version of Belle Haleine was created in 1921, six years after Duchamp arrived in the United States and settled in New York. Duchamp used a perfume bottle and box made by Rigaud for a perfume named “Un Air Embaum</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000000;">é</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">” that was launched in 1915, the same year Duchamp left Paris. “Un Air Embaum</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000000;">é</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">” means “A Perfumed Air”, but the word embaum</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000000;">é </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">could also be read as “An Embalmed Air”. In French, the letter “R” is pronounced “air”, so the Rigaud perfume could also be read as “Un R Embaum</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000000;">é</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">”, a reference to the house whose embossed letter remained on the gold label Duchamp reworked. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Given the “cryptic” nature of this word play and seeing that the Rigaud perfume bottle was housed in a coffin-shaped box which Duchamp lined with satin, perhaps the intention was, in part, to point out a connection between perfume and death through the ancient use of aromatics as embalming materials. Alternatively, Duchamp may have critiqued the bourgeois practice of housing art in museums that seemed more like morgues than places for living work. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Like the R. Mutt Fountain of 1917 (another pseudonym that features an R), it was revolutionary to create art from a throw-away object created for mass consumption. As with perfume, this art was similarly disposable and ephemeral.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Rigaud’s “Un Air Embaum</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000000;">é</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">” is referenced by the name Duchamp ascribed to his perfume, “Belle Haleine” meaning lovely breath (a perfumed air, even) and a play on words with “Belle Helene”, the dessert. Since the bottle was presented without perfume, perhaps it was meant only to contain the perfumed/embalmed air of one’s breath, as ironically lovely as the pear dessert itself, or as deathly stern as the old-fashioned cameo portrait of Rrose S</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000000;">é</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">lavy on its label. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Duchamp painted the bottle green, the color of poison or worse, bad breath. Furthermore, Belle Haleine is an “Eau de Voilette”, loosely translated as veiled water. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVbmcXommq_9Dc4gVJkLI6GMlw1hvPHWZxg4GBlmJsFEzOqvR-VAGiEKEhJUUJekvHwnfQvvyrQTNhGNazrB2xbr1XsRSpm5amZ1RKrkNWC-0QxjT_pdRztklJPzm3i6zM6oY4ucwfFU/s1600/mf_kirchner_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVbmcXommq_9Dc4gVJkLI6GMlw1hvPHWZxg4GBlmJsFEzOqvR-VAGiEKEhJUUJekvHwnfQvvyrQTNhGNazrB2xbr1XsRSpm5amZ1RKrkNWC-0QxjT_pdRztklJPzm3i6zM6oY4ucwfFU/s1600/mf_kirchner_06.jpg" height="320" width="195" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Perhaps donning a small veil was a way to mask foul breath? An obvious wordplay on Eau de Toilette (traditionally used for personal care and even oral hygiene), another veil of meaning is revealed when “Eau de” is read as “Ode”, an ode to the small veil which distances the wearer from others. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Clearly poking fun at Rigaud’s maudlin advertising imagery, Duchamp was telling a visual “rigole” or inside joke by punning on the perfume, its contents, its brand and the people who would wear or “consume” it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Belle Haleine was created by the house of RS (obviously standing for Rrose S</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000000;">é</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">lavy). But the R is printed backwards which almost resembles an A if you squint and if you sound out the RS you get “Arse”. Furthermore, the label is shaded so that it resembles a bloated form. “Belle Haleine”, when spoken quickly turns into Baleine or whale, the source of ambergris and “Voilette” sounds like violette, favorite scents of the old fashioned, puffed up, self-important, New York society ladies. To reinforce this connection, the borders of the label resemble the cross-section of a whale cutting through its blubber. The original Beaux Arts style label by Rigaud sits politely inside its embossed glass fronds, but Duchamp’s label crudely pushes itself out, a perfume bottle within a perfume bottle. The focus is the image of Rrose S</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000000;">é</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">lavy revealing masculine features, especially an Adam’s apple that is highlighted by the camera’s black and white chiaroscuro and a pearl choker.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Duchamp used the Rrose S</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000000;">é</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">lavy pseudonym in other instances and had different portraits taken by Man Ray, perhaps intending to develop this persona. So much has been written about his use of the double R in Rrose which he first used to sign a cryptic pun published in Francis Picabia’s Dada magazine 391. Perhaps the embossed label on the perfume box offers a clue since it retains the capital “R” of the Rigaud emblem. For one, rose is practically synonymous with perfume. Could this extra letter be the perfumed/embalmed R? R. rose Selavy? Air-rose Selavy? Eros, c’est la vie? Rrrrrrrose, c’est la vie (warbled like Edith Piaff)? The original Rigaud bottle was painted a rose pink which Duchamp changed to green. Too bad for Rigaud, that’s life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">By 1921 Rigaud had already branched out to New York, but continued to list Paris on their labels since it was the place where their perfumes were made. Duchamp, however, printed both cities on his Belle Haleine label, alluding to his own connections as well as to the new economics of exchange. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The American public was probably quite familiar with Rigaud, a brand that competed with Coty who took America by storm only a decade earlier. Rigaud’s sentimental (no pun intended) marketing must have seemed outdated to the flapper generation hungry for a modern, avant garde approach in all areas of society. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This was the opportunity Coco Chanel seized when she created her abstract floral No. 5 in 1921. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Lucien Lelong was the first perfume house to co-opt surrealist imagery in its marketing campaigns, borrowing from Andre Breton, Magritte and de Chirico. Duchamp was aware of this avant garde environment in Paris as compared to the backwards looking society of New York.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There are several articles written about an alternative reading of Belle Haleine as being connected to Belle Greene, a Manhattan socialite and JP Morgan librarian who offered Duchamp his first job in the United States, only to fire him unceremoniously six weeks later. Certainly, the name and color of the perfume bottle are persuasive arguments, but I wonder if Duchamp was so petty as to immortalize this relatively minor affront six years later, unless it was emblematic of a putrid society, the smell of which he intended to reveal, one that was in need of a breath of fresh air. In addition, the completed Belle Haleine project was presented in 1965, well after Belle Greene died in 1950. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Duchamp’s Belle Haleine perfume bottle contained only air, but as a perfumer I can’t help but wonder what fragrance he would have created to complement this project? What would it have smelled like? What notes would it have included? The open ended nature of Duchamp’s work makes it tempting for a perfumer to interpret a fragrance for Belle Haleine. But then again, one would have to live up to the ironic brilliance of the piece. Anything less would be a rigole.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">*Lucy Raubertas of <a href="http://indieperfumes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Indieperfumes</a> wrote with elegant prose about Duchamp's Belle Haleine in her 2006 blog post,<a href="http://indieperfumes.blogspot.com/2006/11/secret-of-scent_17.html?q=Duchamp" target="_blank">The Secret of Scent by Luca Turin, Perfume and Art</a> where she mused about Art, Perfume and the loss of Beauty. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">*For a discussion about possible connections between Belle Greene and Belle Haleine, please see article by Bonnie Jean Garner, "<a href="http://www.toutfait.com/issues/issue_2/News/garner.html" target="_blank">Duchamp Bottles Belle Greene: Just Desserts for His Canning</a>".</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">*Review of Belle Haleine 2011 exhibit at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin by Hal Foster, "A Rrose in Berlin", Artforum, April 2011.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">ADDENDUM:</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I was able to smell a recreation of “Un Air Embaum</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000000;">é</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">” at a presentation by Christophe Laudamiel of historical perfumes from the Osmotheque collection hosted by the Institute for Art and Olfaction on January 22, 2014. Although Laudamiel did not present this particular fragrance in his talk, focusing instead on key historical perfumes, it was curious that it was even included in the kit assembled by the Osmotheque, since it is relatively obscure. Like several perfumes popular at the time such as Jicky, Emeraude and l’Heure Bleue, Un Air Embaume, has a strong violet note. However, it also has an herbal accord that gives it a medicinal quality reminiscent of violet breath fresheners. Could Duchamp have been perfume savvy enough to have zero’ed in on a fragrance that not only provided a ripe opportunity for a visual pun, but one that included the olfactory dimension? The clues certainly point in that direction.</span></span></div>
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Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-41276125097831722792013-11-22T14:19:00.001-08:002013-11-22T14:26:50.030-08:00Perfumer or Perfumista<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">(Posted 11-22-13 on Facebook Fragrance Friends, a forum on Facebook dedicated to fragrance enthusiasts, as part of a series coordinated by owner Charlotte Scheuer to highlight perfumers and bloggers in the group.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Perfumer or perfumista? That is the question.</span></span></span></div>
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I love perfume: odors that are composed by nature or the human hand.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I love smelling and am grateful for having arrived at a fully conscious awareness of my nose as the sense that guides my life.</span></span></div>
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I love to create. With my hands, my head, my heart and my nose. As a trained architect I transferred the desire to create from the visible realm to the invisible. A perfume is a construct nonetheless.</span></span></div>
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Creating perfume is the time I set aside to explore the olfactory world and to be alone. As a perfumer I enjoy freedoms I could never experience as an architect. A perfume does not have to respect laws of gravity, or many other laws, for that matter. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It can be pure expression. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pure poetry. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pure art. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pure.</span></span></div>
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I wear perfume. A lot. All the time. If I’m not enjoying the work of others, I’m evaluating my own, studying historical precedents (I have a vintage perfume collection mainly for this purpose) or essences in my organ. Because I use my body to help me with my work, I eschew scented detergents, skincare or anything that could interfere with what I am wearing.</span></span></div>
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Creating perfume is at once a guilty pleasure and a profound struggle. I can’t believe I get to work with such immediate beauty and then I embark on a journey into the unknown filled with unexpected twists and turns, frustrating attempts and unresolved solutions. Discipline helps focus the exploration and imagination allows me to recombine accords so I can resolve a concept. I know a perfume is completed when it is seamless. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I never approach the design of a perfume from the same perspective. Sometimes I build from the ground up, at times from the top down, or laterally, diagonally, spiraling . . . I like to experiment. I imagine smells first and sketch out initial concepts. I then blend accords that explore different facets. Gradually refining my direction, clarifying my intention. Sometimes an accord blended years ago will fall into place. I’ve learned to expect and welcome the unexpected.</span></span></div>
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I’m constantly thinking about my work. While driving my girls to school, brushing my teeth or cooking a meal (seldom following a recipe, relying instead on my nose). I’m alway engaged and never bored. I have sketchbooks everywhere so I can jot down notes; while stopped at a red light, waiting outside a classroom or in the kitchen. Some of these notes get expanded into articles I post on my Architecture of Perfume blog and others are developed into projects. Unconscious dreamwork is also part of my process, so I always apply a scent before going to sleep. Any excuse, right?! </span></span></div>
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About 10 years ago I started with just a few essences and gradually built my library into the 300+ organ I have today. I purchased as many samples as I could in order to study, memorize, and blend in dilution. I’ve stuck with naturals because I feel an intense connection to them. I work with plants, extracting them for my skincare and my perfumes, so it stands to reason that I would want to combine their essences to make perfume. They are damned hard to work with, but ever so gratifying when they finally decide to play nice. </span></span></div>
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I’ve considered expanding into synthetically derived aroma chemicals, if only to educate my nose and add dimension to my knowledge. But I’m still on the fence about using them, as I tend to work with materials I love intuitively. Synthetics are abstract and can be so persistent in a blend, but I can also see how they can lend nuance or clarify structure. The Institute for Art and Olfaction hosts monthly open blending nights, so that might be a way for me to explore synthetics while supporting my community.<br />
Speaking of which, community is vital to my work. Not only have I made amazing friends this past year, but I’ve seen how important it is to support others, which is why I created FRAGments, an indie/artisan perfume event that brings together perfumers, perfume lovers and perfume. I also frequent Scent Bar, often marvelling at how fragrance allows total strangers the freedom to smell each other, taboo in any other context!</span></span></div>
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The online community has been very rewarding. Not only do I vicariously experience every SOTD in my inbox, but I scroll through threads, participating whenever I can. I subscribe to a gazillion blogs, read any book that comes my way and generally immerse myself as much as possible. It never feels too much or burdensome. And there’s always room for another viewpoint, another insight, another perfume.</span></span></div>
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Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-90543200199251712312013-08-17T04:02:00.001-07:002013-08-17T04:02:36.056-07:00Persia, Poetry and Perfume<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Although 34 years have passed, the roses in this garden still bloom.<br />
Read the article on Cafleurebon by clicking the link below.<br />
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<a href="http://www.cafleurebon.com/?p=51389" target="_blank">Persia, Poetry and Perfume: My Journey Home</a>Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-36031989341510602042013-07-17T18:53:00.000-07:002013-07-17T18:53:32.471-07:00FRAGments in LA: Crucible of Ideas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Last September, Parfums Lalun was launched at the LA Artisan Fragrance Salon, an event that gave me the opportunity to present my work to the public. After years of work and study in my “ivory tower” I embraced the opportunity to meet other perfumers and members of the perfume community. Upon returning home from my second Salon in San Francisco (end of March ’13), I realized there was a healthy audience of sophisticated enthusiasts, but no venue that lived up to the quality of work I had experienced at the two Salons. Since artisan/indie perfumes have such limited distribution, I felt an event that highlighted the work as art was necessary. The idea for FRAGments was born intuitively and quickly materialized within two months of its inception. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">An amalgam of “fragrance” (frag is also slang for fragrance) and “movement”, FRAGments was conceived as a way to present the work of emerging and independent artists using scent as their medium. It also represented a cultural shift towards a new awareness of perfume-as-art and projects related to olfaction. As a metaphor, it evoked the image of capillaries moving away from arteries, of individuals fragmenting from the mainstream. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfRePn6qI51cmj5TVjpPF-4I57ZwU7_CqnqVP7GeMjYxMldYtBSBx3MkoIOMTkOU5hOmuHFFVYr2EY5xLZMyKiYV-el_eJ1O8Tw0F7ZC4nT2vMm15acrTCOgqlIdXpWR8c_d5NYxLJbc/s1600/Picture+28.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfRePn6qI51cmj5TVjpPF-4I57ZwU7_CqnqVP7GeMjYxMldYtBSBx3MkoIOMTkOU5hOmuHFFVYr2EY5xLZMyKiYV-el_eJ1O8Tw0F7ZC4nT2vMm15acrTCOgqlIdXpWR8c_d5NYxLJbc/s200/Picture+28.png" width="164" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The first FRAGments was intended to be an introduction to the perfume-as-art genre. The perfumers selected represented a cross-section of work by established perfumers as well as those just launching. Curated as a collective, each perfume artist was asked to present up to five items from their collection. (Future events will include voices of perfumers who have not yet launched, but who have an interesting body of work.) </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObslEp-uBxLtfsz7L_nYI2iqpk0uJlGXvyS7UhlhgeWknZcv4feNzFwoiDwA7DMfnWnUgylcHScNezu_s_yokB6BRGQmcOT3xS8Yqz2Xs_4xkYe3W-V9gbxj5OAq_4t7HVbCct3qcyKg/s1600/IMG_2541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObslEp-uBxLtfsz7L_nYI2iqpk0uJlGXvyS7UhlhgeWknZcv4feNzFwoiDwA7DMfnWnUgylcHScNezu_s_yokB6BRGQmcOT3xS8Yqz2Xs_4xkYe3W-V9gbxj5OAq_4t7HVbCct3qcyKg/s200/IMG_2541.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FRAGments display unit mockup</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Such an event would also be a form of resistance against the connection between perfumery and commerce where perfume collections are referred to as “brands” instead of “art”. Unlike the typical trade show, this event would spotlight the collective artistry of the perfumes rather than brand identity. For this reason, display units were designed to house each perfumer’s work. A uniform module conceived as a fragment of a whole, a simple “C” type extrusion with a top shelf for testers, a vertical surface for an image and a bottom shelf to display bottles and packaging. The units could be positioned in a variety of ways and would read as a common denominator within any given context. It was important to fabricate these units by hand so that the overall philosophy of the event would remain intact. It was also important for the event to be independently produced, reflecting the voices of the participants.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RX_FfLIz_RbvHFkrSN_xUDd9UYVtVnk19uu2ZwjYarS0pwATOXhjQ7EBuLIlOdXw57lu8XxhC7TbE-KMKzXNoO7vk0JDDCHxD2ZDm9x4Cdx6xY73jfRbQ0HFK0m7WcWYZ5hYSHWQfWo/s1600/vermontsantamonicae2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RX_FfLIz_RbvHFkrSN_xUDd9UYVtVnk19uu2ZwjYarS0pwATOXhjQ7EBuLIlOdXw57lu8XxhC7TbE-KMKzXNoO7vk0JDDCHxD2ZDm9x4Cdx6xY73jfRbQ0HFK0m7WcWYZ5hYSHWQfWo/s320/vermontsantamonicae2.jpg" width="203" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Monica Blvd 1950-2011, courtesy urbandiachrony.wordpress.com</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It’s probably no coincidence the context for FRAGments turned out to be Los Angeles, a scrappy city that sprawls into a scruffy landscape concealing a complex and quixotic nature. It may be the end of the line for some but an open road for others, especially artists. Unlike Paris or NY, Los Angeles is not a commercial hub for perfume, but rather a crucible of ideas. Evidence to support this includes the recently formed IAO (Institute for Art and Olfaction) whose mission it is to create “an environment that encourages new exploration of the olfactive arts”. Saskia Wilson-Brown, IAO’s founder, recognized this potential and graciously accepted my request to moderate a discussion with the perfumers, the most controversial topic being the definition of independent vs. artisan perfumer . . . to be continued . . . </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3LLvp_ODVsvraEp-F5A13kd1fFIUu_BZKJUwM7nMlw6Jxpdh1ouOzMH8Y7vX1F0gyXNmpJblRN1sdoM5f0E8thAiV43HQzaui0lGPSHS6b5sKQCeWWkr4ZiLUiu8OYQIkP_vF93W2N8/s1600/IMG_2169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3LLvp_ODVsvraEp-F5A13kd1fFIUu_BZKJUwM7nMlw6Jxpdh1ouOzMH8Y7vX1F0gyXNmpJblRN1sdoM5f0E8thAiV43HQzaui0lGPSHS6b5sKQCeWWkr4ZiLUiu8OYQIkP_vF93W2N8/s200/IMG_2169.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MorYork Gallery</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">MorYork Gallery was chosen as the event location because Clare Graham’s work visually embodied the spirit of the diverse group of perfumers selected, who create unique, multi-faceted and experimental olfactory art. I approached Clare with the idea of a perfume-as-art event and he graciously offered his space. In doing so, he not only invited us to inhabit his gallery and intertwine our work with his, but helped validate our effort through his support. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFg7q5b1BTkgO9N68uaEntTPkU5bCQbE5EXWU8VE83T-W2I-qZDj0bNk8_siiEZponeZwsdPEgHEcMnCIKRkeOkxuZIsC1ulvR20mCwDkysGvdckOQrp81Tdt9aOiXum0y6oYgezo1Qs/s1600/IMG_2638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFg7q5b1BTkgO9N68uaEntTPkU5bCQbE5EXWU8VE83T-W2I-qZDj0bNk8_siiEZponeZwsdPEgHEcMnCIKRkeOkxuZIsC1ulvR20mCwDkysGvdckOQrp81Tdt9aOiXum0y6oYgezo1Qs/s200/IMG_2638.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roxana Villa</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnWxieedpkMQFNKwjO65-qdnJnFAwMggHXkKaFWvLiS60uhVES39Hq9c4Lz6Da7c5TATyV1OX5NmHNeaO9c4EvncdTtbl8wR3dv281khO1bWcuZ_rH6vwbM-tWjlt9k5vTbTuYe_Dpyo/s1600/IMG_2604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnWxieedpkMQFNKwjO65-qdnJnFAwMggHXkKaFWvLiS60uhVES39Hq9c4Lz6Da7c5TATyV1OX5NmHNeaO9c4EvncdTtbl8wR3dv281khO1bWcuZ_rH6vwbM-tWjlt9k5vTbTuYe_Dpyo/s200/IMG_2604.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Persephnie Lea</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-AJNNwizsIKuuoNsHRQeGbhkXwh98amxFX6vFsslzchmMsiiwKaSOp15NU8ZVwRkUCesNBt8x-y1SJSR3EwWQDKTQmqwUCYmATkgOudJ4aK4h3nchv-7BwtHMUSqxQ4Jc3HKLmOVO_Y/s1600/IMG_2650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-AJNNwizsIKuuoNsHRQeGbhkXwh98amxFX6vFsslzchmMsiiwKaSOp15NU8ZVwRkUCesNBt8x-y1SJSR3EwWQDKTQmqwUCYmATkgOudJ4aK4h3nchv-7BwtHMUSqxQ4Jc3HKLmOVO_Y/s200/IMG_2650.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scented Sculpture</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The perfumers selected for the event were mostly from the West Coast: Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Local perfumers included Roxana Villa, Persephenie Lea, Sherri Sebastian and myself who maintain a strict handmade ethos in our search for an authentic voice. Roxana draws inspiration from the arts and crafts movement as well as from the natural beauty of her surroundings and her illustration background to create a series of botanical gems. Persephenie has an established line of fragrance and skincare but chose to present an experimental art piece related to her work as a perfumer: a beeswax painting infused with jatamansi (spikenard) paired with a handmade box of perfume curios. I presented a sculpture made with felted marino wool that invited one to touch and sniff (wool attracts odor molecules). Sherri, a professional perfumer, took an innovative direction with her line of gel-based natural fragrances.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndjcmVHE45rWP-oHdXElayccM3y9k756gfcwR6NvwLcrCv5VXHvmgVA59p5Q1R492z_SJUoifUZBLsNd8i4uUTL0E_Azy6ez0CFrk1CIyipVbOIS6ZpyS0bnvQK7OApBBDooZ_yf593I/s1600/IMG_2630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndjcmVHE45rWP-oHdXElayccM3y9k756gfcwR6NvwLcrCv5VXHvmgVA59p5Q1R492z_SJUoifUZBLsNd8i4uUTL0E_Azy6ez0CFrk1CIyipVbOIS6ZpyS0bnvQK7OApBBDooZ_yf593I/s200/IMG_2630.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sherri Sebastian</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNbo9RqmInRkuEkHgUEbbqCix_tWF3ZLLwk3qVOFc_eWfkOb9gSF8CIh4lEA_BQmktp2b8ZPZLiQjoIdlVNefebW1vtMrGpV7jNEE8GXPbuACyjB0tJ09vBiIValQbOR8sHchBVwLEbg/s1600/IMG_2625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNbo9RqmInRkuEkHgUEbbqCix_tWF3ZLLwk3qVOFc_eWfkOb9gSF8CIh4lEA_BQmktp2b8ZPZLiQjoIdlVNefebW1vtMrGpV7jNEE8GXPbuACyjB0tJ09vBiIValQbOR8sHchBVwLEbg/s200/IMG_2625.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zelda by Shelley Waddington</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Moving up the coast to San Francisco, Yosh Han, Mik Moi, Lisa Fong, Heather Kauffman, Laurie Stern and Shelley Waddington presented their eclectic offerings. The California coast is never far from Shelley’s lush perfume interpretations and Zelda (which she launched that day) was no exception. Laurie’s intricate perfumes captured the charm of the Victorian language of flowers, but from a contemporary point of view. Lisa’s slow blends were intellectual and visceral; I loved her description of creating natural perfumes to be like “carving marble”. Heather and Mik recently launched their lines and both embraced a modern aesthetic; with Nouvelle Vague references by Heather and a socially conscious approach by Mik. Yosh unveiled her new line of fragrances called TimeLine. As I sampled them I let out an involuntary grunt only to find out the name of the fragrance was “Caveman”. I then sniffed my way through the history of humanity which ended with Dystopia in the year 77778.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMxaZ-XlebHU-H6fo802v4alMRns-d58Io-k3aEHN2LNpDbYygLSEKEOUqUDdtb2O7Vir_G5tE4p-UJWcsHa7OaiKs9uvLq0KO5UOC-p3GyuEvpJ8U23rOH3uA52ChoYHJknqLSeLYaI/s1600/IMG_2614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMxaZ-XlebHU-H6fo802v4alMRns-d58Io-k3aEHN2LNpDbYygLSEKEOUqUDdtb2O7Vir_G5tE4p-UJWcsHa7OaiKs9uvLq0KO5UOC-p3GyuEvpJ8U23rOH3uA52ChoYHJknqLSeLYaI/s200/IMG_2614.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laurie Stern</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8MqRQb-ch-MP753WGSdAmlF9iGKuIQi4npbktLT0o1zrWigUYerUOsxIJzbsYqk7zterv6OPCoK6RbVm9e6fa6NRJh2JhzhLbpYXw3_G7bRnBWPcf6cPrt8bGaWITqkxLgzNDcFlz340/s1600/IMG_2612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8MqRQb-ch-MP753WGSdAmlF9iGKuIQi4npbktLT0o1zrWigUYerUOsxIJzbsYqk7zterv6OPCoK6RbVm9e6fa6NRJh2JhzhLbpYXw3_G7bRnBWPcf6cPrt8bGaWITqkxLgzNDcFlz340/s200/IMG_2612.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lisa Fong</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heather Kauffman</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0rrNAdf8-hGi5EKDIoW_GhhzknUE2g1ur3sGJkquv0CZpDHql2EZq5gYvuxDd9BBZrh2ZinwpXm2zXb-6Qlv3r1w0X4u5GF3JCAFoahMWEXGap-WERzUAm4qyazBqhI5MI6KLDoLfhY/s1600/IMG_2600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0rrNAdf8-hGi5EKDIoW_GhhzknUE2g1ur3sGJkquv0CZpDHql2EZq5gYvuxDd9BBZrh2ZinwpXm2zXb-6Qlv3r1w0X4u5GF3JCAFoahMWEXGap-WERzUAm4qyazBqhI5MI6KLDoLfhY/s200/IMG_2600.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mik Moi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWv3Vg0pmQqHDI2d1jBDajMe8gfC2sK2HkwLp5o-uSbBVZwkoU5LZ-sEHhki4bHsjo9mRbdfHSw4YgFkmh91h6iLip6xW17fLn3j105ZHN7XehBjBXuQyhTbcobreLAoQWBzAniHSkfDE/s1600/IMG_2598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWv3Vg0pmQqHDI2d1jBDajMe8gfC2sK2HkwLp5o-uSbBVZwkoU5LZ-sEHhki4bHsjo9mRbdfHSw4YgFkmh91h6iLip6xW17fLn3j105ZHN7XehBjBXuQyhTbcobreLAoQWBzAniHSkfDE/s200/IMG_2598.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yosh Hann</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Falsberg</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Further north the Seattle contingent included David Falsberg, Christi Meshell, Nikki Sherritt-Smith, and Meredith Smith who exhibited fiercely individual expressions. David’s hyper-real blends included Skin Graft, a perfume about his experience with Steven Johnson’s syndrome. With it’s antiseptic Band Aid accord it served as a reminder that life encompasses everything from dis-ease to the beauty of survival. Christi’s naturals simply pumped up the jam, they were so dynamic and vivacious. The “Rebel” in Nikki’s botanical perfume line name belied her approach to perfumery; compositions driven by her own artistic vision. Meredith gave everyone a taste of her indie fragrances some of which are inspired by popular rock’n’roll themes. It should be noted that she also owns a shop that carries the work of other artisan perfumers! <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nQKRN7isIYY4dKG4RSwFOmn4a5kF799drlTEsJjb5M7Ay04GJ64I2u_ObDpEdpA2aYr7eE1ewXLJemn820SoGvEWtSgTJ1NEE7lF9UKBv5Dct3HJ3Scs9Hfz6IJRU6VGeH3bnHyixeg/s1600/IMG_2623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nQKRN7isIYY4dKG4RSwFOmn4a5kF799drlTEsJjb5M7Ay04GJ64I2u_ObDpEdpA2aYr7eE1ewXLJemn820SoGvEWtSgTJ1NEE7lF9UKBv5Dct3HJ3Scs9Hfz6IJRU6VGeH3bnHyixeg/s200/IMG_2623.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christi Meshell</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6gHaW4XzESETD9qIAdSauUrRhbhnXm-LMPHDKN_CXmhGxEBPq6imnoijCzJzz84oJ4D7y8NazUpbPZQ5qwkFd3HES9xieewHPeVhwR7_bkS5VF9LdJ7R7dcXv2EzLL8vKpSpEnddCrM/s1600/IMG_2610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6gHaW4XzESETD9qIAdSauUrRhbhnXm-LMPHDKN_CXmhGxEBPq6imnoijCzJzz84oJ4D7y8NazUpbPZQ5qwkFd3HES9xieewHPeVhwR7_bkS5VF9LdJ7R7dcXv2EzLL8vKpSpEnddCrM/s200/IMG_2610.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Sherritt-Smith</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meredith Smith</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Q-cwwEw7BB_RtZYzodP9b9k_-dRzpH6Vf2MNh18HAf8QEa8CQGJ7M881k2Ph5uAYeRvYoRi1TBlA8QnwrV5-H8H6gtyvR3Cx4BgD6cWbJFprKjDVSHjj2IqXiwGpzva0092FEFlmE8o/s1600/IMG_2602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Q-cwwEw7BB_RtZYzodP9b9k_-dRzpH6Vf2MNh18HAf8QEa8CQGJ7M881k2Ph5uAYeRvYoRi1TBlA8QnwrV5-H8H6gtyvR3Cx4BgD6cWbJFprKjDVSHjj2IqXiwGpzva0092FEFlmE8o/s200/IMG_2602.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JK DeLapp</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGg705dtapmp4GBBNw509pR13uDWguMYA4PLXycDGrOJgdA8ulf2v1YnM0rK7i4r4bnQVTTsKRcnhKjulAaJvlZj55PePHO3KNKxrmWqm3XL1qgtn_nUYXWYSxDagwg92X2m3tE6g1Jqc/s1600/IMG_2636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGg705dtapmp4GBBNw509pR13uDWguMYA4PLXycDGrOJgdA8ulf2v1YnM0rK7i4r4bnQVTTsKRcnhKjulAaJvlZj55PePHO3KNKxrmWqm3XL1qgtn_nUYXWYSxDagwg92X2m3tE6g1Jqc/s200/IMG_2636.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ayala Moriel</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">That leaves us with JK DeLapp (San Diego, CA), Ayala Moriel (Vancouver, BC), Amanda Feeley (Ames, IA) and Dawn Spencer-Hurwitz (Denver, CO). JK, a Chinese medicine practitioner, launched his line of rich natural oil blends inspired by the 9,000 year old tradition of his profession. He also shared some rare examples of high grade aloeswood from his collection. Ayala had to jump through some international hoops so that we could experience her emotionally charged perfumes which brought forth tears, smiles and memories. Amanda, who composes “music for the nose” included her “Lumberjack Man”, a fragrance that added levity to the day. Dawn introduced us to her painterly method of layering scents with a subtle hand, her five perfumes being just the tip of the iceberg from her molten talent.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1ldFrGW9I1JqMOrFxnTMzLPZ8pSroRVCzDhE0sLC__QIQMpVbi2KNJNQth1mr-cTsmuFmmqc0sQE3XJbjjrWhahU_EmAR3B5BdR1zb7EOhsgsbN7rEPej6A913JUiH6QxUM1C-4kHd0/s1600/IMG_2621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1ldFrGW9I1JqMOrFxnTMzLPZ8pSroRVCzDhE0sLC__QIQMpVbi2KNJNQth1mr-cTsmuFmmqc0sQE3XJbjjrWhahU_EmAR3B5BdR1zb7EOhsgsbN7rEPej6A913JUiH6QxUM1C-4kHd0/s200/IMG_2621.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amanda Feeley and the Lumberjack Man</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dawn Spenser Hurwitz</td></tr>
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FRAGments was a great opportunity to build community and create a recognizable forum for people to meet and exchange ideas in person. This was probably the most important aspect for me since it gave me the chance to meet and work with others. It’s important to acknowledge other community builders who inspired me like Yosh Han who instigated the Artisan Fragrance Salon series and created a dynamic Facebook community called Aroma Village, Ayala Moriel who put together an amazing tea party the day before the San Francisco Salon and Persephenie Lea who hosted a number of meet-the-perfumer events I attended several years ago in her Edinburgh Street studio in Los Angeles. It was wonderful to have their presence and support at FRAGments.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQ41KWq_Zjdo-aZWHoYJBhU9xJhcpMR-6pKuDNLvWmfYfg8kft7wMPfWF5g4iZApU6RGsRbo6EgVoL_kVmgw7Ixj6o21nnb1aOwU-m4VJXwYHMF8wVPhaafrMHdYzwn3kBTFetkM-XX8/s1600/Maggie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQ41KWq_Zjdo-aZWHoYJBhU9xJhcpMR-6pKuDNLvWmfYfg8kft7wMPfWF5g4iZApU6RGsRbo6EgVoL_kVmgw7Ixj6o21nnb1aOwU-m4VJXwYHMF8wVPhaafrMHdYzwn3kBTFetkM-XX8/s200/Maggie.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maggie at Persephenie's event featuring Laurie Stern</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pantheon</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Finally, pairing the event with the summer solstice allowed the longest day of the year to be celebrated in a space where the changing light could be enjoyed while socializing and sampling fragrances in a relaxed atmosphere. At times reminiscent of the Pantheon, shafts of light would pierce the darkness and Clare’s artwork would form a rich tableau vivant of illuminated artifacts framing the perfumers. It was also quite warm in the space, a reminder of what summer feels like with just enough volatility for the perfumes to bloom. With so much inspiring work it was hard to forget the olfactory realm is our last frontier. Historically under-appreciated and underutilized, we are finally witnessing a surge of interest in this area. This has resulted in record breaking perfume launches, scientific studies and artistic explorations. The good news is: this is just the beginning and LA is positioned to be its creative epicenter.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“You know the day destroys the night</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">break on through to the other side.” The Doors</span></div>
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<br />Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-27884851523168108782012-07-29T12:31:00.000-07:002012-07-29T12:52:30.530-07:00Beyond the Veil<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Y8z0SIOu7pLKzJipIXK4hfNF5qHCvk3sCOykNzh32vr1CpLkJBx40nMdEpyLIJR0uvyM0YEq4HbajHNQhyphenhyphenO_BbSRt7Ed_hzCHf8deMIKqrlIkm2fO8pi6_S1gqADGF7kU5wH-UH0DC4/s1600/IMG_1510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Y8z0SIOu7pLKzJipIXK4hfNF5qHCvk3sCOykNzh32vr1CpLkJBx40nMdEpyLIJR0uvyM0YEq4HbajHNQhyphenhyphenO_BbSRt7Ed_hzCHf8deMIKqrlIkm2fO8pi6_S1gqADGF7kU5wH-UH0DC4/s320/IMG_1510.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage Chanel Flacon</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">When one thinks of perfume, instinctively commercial brands come to mind. However, the perfume world has changed dramatically the last few years facilitated by social media sites that have made it possible for enthusiasts to exchange ideas directly and create virtual communities. It is here that one can gain exposure to other types of perfumes such as niche, natural, experimental, conceptual, vintage or art fragrances. It is here that one can meet and converse not only with fellow perfumistas, but with bloggers, critics, writers, sellers, buyers, aromatic producers, manufacturers, historians, curators and even perfumers. Because of this connectivity it is now possible to stay on top of things regardless of where one lives. The fragrance world is no longer a centralized hegemony, but an individualized paradigm within the context of a raw democracy.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_EH27XxlByb2Or9SGaHEsbzmAuxDZC0m4atZerbStJXcd3Fu8NAw34dSDS2PiTneVP1R1E3CG3PVr9xIo3cM9bOSw4qYKQ9bbLSfCgc9sVJ6sMMMSK_sRpjhdNfyTgC9qIMdxEOw6XI/s1600/fourdevs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_EH27XxlByb2Or9SGaHEsbzmAuxDZC0m4atZerbStJXcd3Fu8NAw34dSDS2PiTneVP1R1E3CG3PVr9xIo3cM9bOSw4qYKQ9bbLSfCgc9sVJ6sMMMSK_sRpjhdNfyTgC9qIMdxEOw6XI/s320/fourdevs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy Sheila Eggenberger</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It was through this venue that I was able to meet Sheila Eggenberger, read her <a href="http://www.quantumdemonology.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Quantum Demonology</a> novel and take part in the DevilScent project as a blogger. It was this context where Sheila met Ellen Covey, a perfumer (owner of <a href="http://www.orchidscents.com/" target="_blank">Olympic Orchards</a>) and partner in crime. Since Ellen started the DevilScent project with Sheila her Dev variations are not just interpretations of the Devil’s fragrance but four archetypal aspects of that entity. Together they are the perfume equivalent of the character Sheila Eggenberger created. Dark, bitter, rich, spicy, earthy, fiery and cognac smooth. They can be experienced as stand alone fragrances, form a transition from one state to another or be layered for a devilish rush. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pYMPoHnYX4W5iKIcVVYxb_EpynBtexGuPGEcC-OKYw6Zan0bf6Tf5-azgHRWDTbLuzDL2dL5vKibrKHCHAELD0spu8QbHwwVE3VUItNCNEBBU8BEuShG87dwjXyJk2bXWxrIkmhVxXw/s1600/IMG_1511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pYMPoHnYX4W5iKIcVVYxb_EpynBtexGuPGEcC-OKYw6Zan0bf6Tf5-azgHRWDTbLuzDL2dL5vKibrKHCHAELD0spu8QbHwwVE3VUItNCNEBBU8BEuShG87dwjXyJk2bXWxrIkmhVxXw/s200/IMG_1511.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Papier Mache and Lacquer Bodhidharma</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Dev 1 and 4, Alpha and Omega, beginning and end share a note that I can only describe as lacquer. An opulent dark lacquer adding luster to the surface of rich wood and fine art. From the moment I smelled these perfumes I had a flashback to when I would accompany my parents to the bazaar in Tehran where they would take their antique furniture to be refinished. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XJeQtO2fr8r33dUdUVUDGXU3FZmHSzBs8SVGkNaTjVbuOQmXkL6uGdAKC7U6zKTaY0wWKelPYT-oKP0BYkaJw9u4PwCjxw7ngcH42r-hyWT5R9wMAFeUXv-Yfb6P15SlYP6sK-u0O9Q/s1600/278238083199353542_SWr13gOK_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XJeQtO2fr8r33dUdUVUDGXU3FZmHSzBs8SVGkNaTjVbuOQmXkL6uGdAKC7U6zKTaY0wWKelPYT-oKP0BYkaJw9u4PwCjxw7ngcH42r-hyWT5R9wMAFeUXv-Yfb6P15SlYP6sK-u0O9Q/s1600/278238083199353542_SWr13gOK_b.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Bazaar" Image Courtesy Hamzeh Karbasi</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The workshop was medieval at best, a dark, crepuscular space with furniture piled haphazardly, cans of lacquer and shellac, waxes, oils and stained rags strewn about. There was a haze of wood dust and cigarette smoke that never seemed to settle down. The walls were damp with patches of swelling plaster and yellowed paint. A skylight punctuated the end of the space where a crouched figure worked, the odor of his sweat a reminder of the heat outside. Mingled together was the smell of wood; fresh, aromatic and exotic. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaO4rDMoPPgCuyHWz0Y67nicvurZWATb9bR-7Dxw04y5w8nHw3YvYAEfT3klGleakfDg0u8NBe7pUQfdSyYqjxDO3hkskRtPAKtavFqXY9xZ-vTuFL-3wyRzZhT6pEQoCzzhpHw7Af4k/s1600/gao.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaO4rDMoPPgCuyHWz0Y67nicvurZWATb9bR-7Dxw04y5w8nHw3YvYAEfT3klGleakfDg0u8NBe7pUQfdSyYqjxDO3hkskRtPAKtavFqXY9xZ-vTuFL-3wyRzZhT6pEQoCzzhpHw7Af4k/s1600/gao.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant Arborvitae Image Courtesy NW Aromatics</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">But Dev 1 and 4 also reminded me of something else which I finally identified when I recently pulled out samples of Nootka and Giant Arborvitae I purchased from a Canadian company that produces these oils sustainably from leftover sawdust. It is rare to find an essential oil that has longevity, lift and sillage, but Giant Arborvitae is just such a gem. True to its name though, it is a giant that can squelch practically everything in its path and is very difficult to tame. The beauty of Dev 1 and 4 are that Ellen Covey has not tried to tame the giant, recognizing instead, the power of this aromatic and has paired it with other strong notes to create an untamed fragrance that unleashes memory and desire. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMGDpguXlCXqfNesV_7BcImZYeu8sEuBhmEhdq_Uuf_Q0h1iJiU2aBJBLQHXItDpjz4id7l2wwDEYhE5ijlhni89YHsBPRUFvY3-nyCitx8QEIwU-OKlcChV954C7lUFkGitzoM8ky9U/s1600/vintage_photo_totem_oldchum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMGDpguXlCXqfNesV_7BcImZYeu8sEuBhmEhdq_Uuf_Q0h1iJiU2aBJBLQHXItDpjz4id7l2wwDEYhE5ijlhni89YHsBPRUFvY3-nyCitx8QEIwU-OKlcChV954C7lUFkGitzoM8ky9U/s320/vintage_photo_totem_oldchum.jpg" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Courtesy thelooksee.com</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Giant Arborvitae (Thuja plicata) is a wild and ancient tree, a cypress native to North America and intrinsic to the lives of the indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest. All parts of the tree were used to create canoes, housing, clothing, baskets, fishing poles, utensils and totem poles. Arborvitae means “tree of life” and specimens can live for hundreds of years. Using the oil from this tree can certainly invoke its spirit (benevolent or mischievous) which comes to life on the skin.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8QtZNq2BHTk9PRyqfI8brOXB2c3CdZiMxfKmmJEfkV8Cpcg-EDRLTtmvNaG_b7VxIGhN4-DmlLHz6vCGyWmCHyYeKQkzHG7GDHjlD86oLtY9E6Z283zU2yQyN9Y_rPFERFeLY620bjc/s1600/278238083199353589_0F5wkARP_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8QtZNq2BHTk9PRyqfI8brOXB2c3CdZiMxfKmmJEfkV8Cpcg-EDRLTtmvNaG_b7VxIGhN4-DmlLHz6vCGyWmCHyYeKQkzHG7GDHjlD86oLtY9E6Z283zU2yQyN9Y_rPFERFeLY620bjc/s1600/278238083199353589_0F5wkARP_b.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Courtesy "lk"</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Dev 2 and 3 are bridge fragrances that swing in different directions. Dev 2 has a sweet sexiness in its depth. But Dev 3 is crazy spicy and takes me down yet another memory lane to the same bazaar where my mother would buy her medicinal herbs and culinary spices. This was a very different space, that of a peaceful and somewhat rotund Hajji who sat behind his counter surrounded by jars, amphorae and baskets of herbs. He would dutifully mete out the contents of a vessel onto a scale using brass weights for balance and then pack everything in brown paper bags and calculate the cost with a well-worn abacus. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I asked my mother to try Dev 3 and tell me what it brought to mind. She immediately remembered the spice shop and its smells as well as the woody lacquer note. How Ellen could have created fragrances that bring to mind the same distant memories for my mother and myself is amazing. Such is the skill of a talented perfumer who can harness the mystery of fragrance. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjgVw-GIGiGweBPbwdDuTMsfsq1u5bzOUiDl0hTpYmhkZorXdMtcVFwrD7KBr1tDwcloUTF-d61IqbuG0pT29pNQx8QqARharc-liitfaKyf7Ln-GwgTHtzi_rbi5ycuqjB_H25e5pXKg/s1600/JohnCagePreparedPiano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjgVw-GIGiGweBPbwdDuTMsfsq1u5bzOUiDl0hTpYmhkZorXdMtcVFwrD7KBr1tDwcloUTF-d61IqbuG0pT29pNQx8QqARharc-liitfaKyf7Ln-GwgTHtzi_rbi5ycuqjB_H25e5pXKg/s1600/JohnCagePreparedPiano.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prepared Piano</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Ellen Covey’s Dev quartet are not easy fragrances with mass appeal like most commercial perfumes marketed today (witness Justin Bieber). The Dev series are conceptual explorations along the lines of a John Cage composition for the prepared piano. Working with a difficult aromatic is analogous to rigging up an instrument so that the sounds produced are no longer familiar but new and evocative. Once the ear grows accustomed to this new terrain, it’s hard to go back to the familiar, classically composed instrument. Similarly, once the nose grows accustomed to unconventional scents, it’s hard to wear a classically composed fragrance the same way. Conceptual explorations cause a shift to occur, a change of perspective, a door to open onto an unknown space. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjVnaCLoV_dr6-YOPsiIiO_D9mdMRfMpBEufBvWL6MgMZWVnw7I_G2_zwwOGnz-pxyA8HVEcj1HpdPan_qTBhe7mloRRRdPUlumfPKE7c0ItbcwCc1_8fEnmrFR8rrjEKHDQ2b5XosXE/s1600/Duchamp_door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjVnaCLoV_dr6-YOPsiIiO_D9mdMRfMpBEufBvWL6MgMZWVnw7I_G2_zwwOGnz-pxyA8HVEcj1HpdPan_qTBhe7mloRRRdPUlumfPKE7c0ItbcwCc1_8fEnmrFR8rrjEKHDQ2b5XosXE/s320/Duchamp_door.jpg" width="162" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcel Duchamp "door"</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Conceptual perfumery can hardly be considered a fragrance category (yet), let alone one intended for commercial success, there are so few perfumers who have gone out on that limb, but it is an exciting area of exploration that has the potential to push the boundaries of the medium. Thanks to the online community, there also seems to be an interest in perfumes that buck convention. Hopefully, the day will come when our collective perfume horizons will be expanded beyond the veil that stands between fragrance and art.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeE12Ayh-YIsHahyphenhyphenx_mnBX02EX1mAIBRnzAkkbRuf2XXvtIQQ95-EKBamv88HJO69pH91AYRpNnPrJDThf7hL3Hnz7BXtZhV_-S-JOGdWpfqu7WhHf0xkE4kU6zsB71xCyHy2b3d8_D4/s1600/abbott12dancing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeE12Ayh-YIsHahyphenhyphenx_mnBX02EX1mAIBRnzAkkbRuf2XXvtIQQ95-EKBamv88HJO69pH91AYRpNnPrJDThf7hL3Hnz7BXtZhV_-S-JOGdWpfqu7WhHf0xkE4kU6zsB71xCyHy2b3d8_D4/s320/abbott12dancing.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elenore Abbott</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-68291169549871515782012-07-21T06:13:00.000-07:002012-07-21T06:21:51.425-07:00Fragrance Appreciation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-YlZnRY6C-kXUBUd25lShHMCMeSRNK7UXxpF8DHKowELDh15JyZwDz4kiF4RYiCRKAejSCWBwR6rchD8PNjYDPgNnyV3CjL7fVjPe4GL8o6OHDj3nx1BBeHdGhUjZoNaUmfP7Ldq4OjQ/s1600/perfume-appreciation-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-YlZnRY6C-kXUBUd25lShHMCMeSRNK7UXxpF8DHKowELDh15JyZwDz4kiF4RYiCRKAejSCWBwR6rchD8PNjYDPgNnyV3CjL7fVjPe4GL8o6OHDj3nx1BBeHdGhUjZoNaUmfP7Ldq4OjQ/s320/perfume-appreciation-1.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
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More than the casual spritz, I argue that fragrance appreciation is something we can all enjoy! Read about it on Cafleurbon:<br />
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<a href="http://www.cafleurbon.com/more-than-a-casual-spritz-fragrance-appreciation-la-lune-de-miel-perfume-draw/" target="_blank">http://www.cafleurbon.com/more-than-a-casual-spritz-fragrance-appreciation-la-lune-de-miel-perfume-draw/</a>Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-26690923521974242562012-07-15T07:06:00.000-07:002012-07-15T07:06:20.790-07:00les Maitresses Parfumeuses<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo courtesy of <br />hydeinblackroom.blogspot.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What makes the Faustian tale so compelling? Is it the promise of worldliness? Getting what we want? The thrill of flirting with danger? Perhaps the first tale of its kind was the Adam and Eve story, where they tasted of the tree of knowledge and their eyes were opened. There’s always a price to pay when dealing with the devil and theirs was being cast out of Eden and thrust into the world. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The memory of their original home and past innocence attained mythic proportions and as a result God, their creator, became the gatekeeper of their past. Somebody else had to step up to the plate and provide the tools for their survival and success in the wilderness. That was the Devil who offered ambition and drive (along with seven other deadly sins) so that future generations could enjoy the fruits of culture and sophistication.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Dev and Lil perfumes<br />photo courtesy of Sheila Eggenberger</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Alexis Karl and Maria McElroy of <a href="http://www.cherrybombkillerperfume.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000099; text-decoration: underline;">Cherry Bomb Killer Perfume</span></a>, have delved deep into the myth and mystique of the devil. Inspired by the characters in Sheila Eggenberger’s <a href="http://quantumdemonology.wordpress.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000099; text-decoration: underline;">Quantum Demonology</span></a> novel and their own dark-themed work, these mistresses of the subconscious have collaborated on the creation of two fragrances for the Devilscent project: Dev and Lil. Although named after the Devil and his wife Lilith, these perfumes also exemplify Adam and Eve after their expulsion from paradise. The ousted couple, residing now in New York City (like their mistress perfumers), prefer the shelter of the night to the shining light of day, and never leave their apartment without perfume.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo courtesy of<br />honestcooking.com</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Smoldering caramel, burnt sugar, molasses and maple, Dev is the ultimate gourmand fragrance because it conveys the original meaning of the French term: that of gluttony. Catching a whiff is not enough. One needs draughts of the stuff, inhaling deeply and coming back for more. It’s thick enough to eat and can cause Americans to spontaneously erupt in French “c’est si bon!” (thanks Yoplait). It’s a decadent olfactory dessert and if worn on the right man could make a woman skip that course and head straight for the sheets. This perfume would have made Adam’s first wife Lilith submit to his demands so that God wouldn’t have to fashion another mate from his rib (ouch!). It is domination in a “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwzaifhSw2c&feature=player_embedded"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000099; text-decoration: underline;">Venus in Furs</span></a>” kind of way, where pleasure and pain are exchanged freely.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Lil, on the other hand, is “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0d5rH45Ux0&feature=related"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000099; text-decoration: underline;">Femme Fatale</span></a>”, sung to perfection by Nico with her throaty voice recalling Edie Sedgewick, muse to Andy Warhol at the Factory. One tragic superstar glamazon singing about another. However, beneath her charming gamine exterior and celebutante background Edie, like Lil and even Nico is “from the street, She’s just a little tease (She’s a femme fatale), See the way she walks, Hear the way she talks, She’s gonna play you for a fool yes it’s true”. Alexis and Maria’s creations are avant garde perfume covers of these two songs that live side-by-side on the Velvet Underground & Nico album. They are rock perfumes that deal with the dark veins running beneath the surface of sweetness and beauty. <span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Image courtesy of Alexis Karl</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There is another musical connection through Alexis Karl who, in addition to being a talented perfumer, is a trained opera singer and visual artist. She performs her musical compositions with her band “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBZw6pGNc18&feature=relmfu"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000099; text-decoration: underline;">Ondyne’s Demise</span></a>”, her voice capturing the gloaming dreamscape of the subconscious and transporting us through the gothic atmosphere of danger and mystery. While the Velvet Underground lyrics conjure up archetypal anima/animus images of Dev and Lil, Adam and Eve, Andy and Edie, Lou and Nico . . . the smoky sounds of Ondine’s Demise provide the backdrop for all of these Faustian arrangements. Is this particular melding of perfume and music inspired by the devil himself? Perhaps, but I doubt these Maitresses Parfumeuses will ever divulge their secrets!</span></span></div>
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Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-59982526182951932102012-05-07T15:02:00.000-07:002012-05-07T21:12:21.818-07:00Amanda Feeley Devil #1, #2 and #3 Desk Crit:<br />
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(I am reviewing individual perfume modifications or sketches as "desk crits", based on my experience of how architectural projects are critiqued during the design phase. When all of the perfumes are in, I will do a "final review", again modeled on the way architectural projects are reviewed as a whole.)</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">There is something “Puck-ish” about the *fragrances <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/EsscentualAlchemy" target="_blank">Amanda Feeley</a> has created for the DevilScent project. Puck is the mischievous trickster and nature sprite who appears when you speak of the Devil. He’s also known as Robin Goodfellow or Hobgoblin (derived from Robin) and other variations. As a literary character he makes his appearance in Faust’s “A Walpurgisnacht Traum” but is best known for his role in Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Puck seems close to Amanda’s heart, imbuing her work with knavish delight and whimsy. After all, it was Ms. Feeley who organized, or should I say, orchestrated last summer’s “A Midsummer-Night’s Dream”, an ambitious project involving 16 perfumers and 11 bloggers that owed as much to Mendelssohn’s symphony as it did to the play. Ms. Feeley created two perfumes for that event: Pixie Dust and Bottom’s Dream, the former smelling of the forest, the latter of peach (“Do I dare eat a peach” The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock). </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Her perfume modifications for the Devilscent project are three interpretations of a Puck-like devil who inhabits the forest. All three versions share the same labdanum bed to a varying degree. Devil #1 has a fir balsam note layered onto labdanum that’s paired with a vaguely minty top. Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) comes to mind which wouldn’t surprise me since Ms. Feeley’s handle online is the "Absinthe Dragonfly". All of the plants in the Artemisia family dwell in the wild and pay heed only to their hunter goddess, Artemis. Devil #3, on the other hand digs underground and is noticeably earthier, muskier, possibly due to a liberal addition of angelica root, perhaps intended as a symbol for a fallen angel? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">While Devil #1 and #3 share similarities and arrived on my doorstep in the same bag, Devil #2 was alone in his own bag and when I smelled him, I could understand why. It was clear this little guy was not willing to share the stage with the others. He had also sneaked out of the vial and had smeared the label. Ahhh, calamus root (Acorus calamus). But why this botanical? I went back and discovered that the rhizome of this grass (also known as sweet flag or sweet grass) was thought to be an aphrodisiac and was possibly one of the ingredients used to make absinthe (the green fairy again). To further support the aphrodisiac claim given to calamus, it appears as though Walt Whitman added a section to the third edition of his “Leaves of Grass” calling it “Calamus” where references to the plant were symbols of love and lust, the Devil’s calling card. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The etymology of calamus reveals that it comes from the Sanskrit word “kalama” which in Farsi (Indo-European language) has two meanings. It can mean either word (kalameh) or pen (qalam) pronounced with the gutteral qu’ain and related to the reed pens used in calligraphy that were made from a special hollow grass (probably calamus). Of course, the reed is also used for certain wind instruments, like the oboe or pan-flute that would have been played by our mischievous Puck as he would lead folks astray in his woodland domain. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">While Devil#1 and #3 are interesting compositions, #2 captures the trickster embodied by <a href="http://quantumdemonology.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Sheila Eggenberger's</a> Dev, but more importantly, it lies at the heart of Amanda’s quixotic work. This is the scent I imagine Stanley Tucci’s wry and satirical Puck would have, a trickster after my own (naturally) perfumed heart! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">*Ms. Feeley works only with natural and botanical essences.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-8134679675170972112012-05-02T13:15:00.001-07:002012-08-03T17:17:09.259-07:00Neil Morris "Dev#2" Desk Crit: Semiology of Scent<br />
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(I am reviewing individual perfume modifications or sketches as "desk crits", based on my experience of how architectural projects are critiqued during the design phase. When all of the perfumes are in, I will do a "final review", again modeled on the way architectural projects are reviewed as a whole.)</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">My initial reaction to Neil Morris’ Dev#2 was: “Well, knock me down with a feather . . . preferably one that comes from a fallen angel . . . and reel me in with sexy cumin”. Mind you, this is not Le Labo’s Rose 31 version of cumin, but a gorgeously bitter and fermented concoction with notes of wine soaked raisin/date/nut meat like the haroseth prepared for a Persian seder with smokey pepper thrown in. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">To my nose Neil’s creation has the same elements as *Kyphi, the sacred Egyptian incense made with wine, dates and raisins which most likely contained labdanum, another mainstay of the ancient world. Like an artifact from antiquity, Neil’s Dev#2 has an abstract quality. It is, indeed, an incense type fragrance, but deconstructed. One that can be reduced to the abstract interplay of its two main components, cumin and cistus, notes that have been structured in a way that defy a homogeneous cultural reading. Cumin and cistus act as <i>signifiers</i> that identify a heterogeneous concept of the <i>signified </i>(incense).</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Deconstruction in architecture, unlike Jacques Derrida’s practice of analyzing texts to reveal ambiguities of intention, became a means of overlaying a (sometimes arbitrary) system of generating form which would not be referable to any cultural or historical language. It attempted to create an anti-symbolic method of designing buildings, but was ultimately flawed and contradictory because nothing can ever be reduced to a non-symbolic form so as to be read and understood by everyone. There’s always a layer of cultural meaning that seeps in to muddy the waters. And that muddiness and ambiguity is what becomes interesting anyway. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Deconstruction in perfumery however, could be more fruitful and less polemic, both in terms of creation and analysis. I sense that Neil Morris is already working within the parameters of ambiguity, especially through his “Vault” line (<a href="http://www.neilmorrisfragrances.com/vault.html"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">http://www.neilmorrisfragrances.com/vault.html</span></a>), if Dev#2 is any indication. As an independent perfumer, he is free to explore concepts and fragrance combinations that commercial perfumers could never touch. The fragrances he offers are part of an oeuvre, or life work that describe his trajectory of exploration. I also sense that he is a minimalist, preferring to pare down his perfumes while allowing them some muddiness. Dev#2 is wearable but certainly not conventional. I would contend that Neil Morris has nailed it with this modification he sent me as his interpretation of the devil’s scent in Sheila Eggenberger’s novel </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Quantum Demonology</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">*I have a theory that the haroseth prepared during Passover is a Jewish interpretation of kyphi and may have initially been an incense which was eventually transformed into one of the edible, symbolic elements of the seder table.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Image: Red Bird of Paradise Feather from the Institute of Zoology and Zoological Museum, University of Hamburg</span></div>Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-60406342394311808402012-04-16T09:39:00.012-07:002012-04-17T16:45:33.625-07:00She Shoulda Said "NO"!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2hpudaWlYKjN3butlFVTqfbsKhgYX4JaUECw14FqcYTf8DO2xG6GRH1i-428CXk6Hptm4jf0QMwfYiLaFcZkahyBi3lTh6f7JCTulWE3VDCqkrhGHzo6PXRBy7zW70iDMsd9U7e85C8/s1600/ExploitWSGallery17.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 251px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2hpudaWlYKjN3butlFVTqfbsKhgYX4JaUECw14FqcYTf8DO2xG6GRH1i-428CXk6Hptm4jf0QMwfYiLaFcZkahyBi3lTh6f7JCTulWE3VDCqkrhGHzo6PXRBy7zW70iDMsd9U7e85C8/s320/ExploitWSGallery17.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732086199939106738" /></a><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Sheila Eggenberger’s debut novel, Quantum Demonology is a raucous romp through the world of supernatural forces that have attempted to claim our measly planet since time immemorial. Woven through her tale are invisible strands of perfume and metal music, forming a unique backdrop of sensuality and divine darkness. Part personal theology, part dialectical critique, part mythological collage, part “anarcha feminist” commentary, part metaphor for mid life crisis along the lines of Dante’s Divine Comedy, the protagonist in this novel within a novel bares it all: her her body, her soul and her aspirations. No detail is spared and her language seeks to capture the essence of the unknowable. </span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdEoFxaK0ehyphenhyphenL0camSPgKo5_GlGwYL9gtlNHLDQcct2qDS6CvCQLv8AbqcfsJgWitY_EC4b6NJoKZxo2x73tJ5ULaKfLCFf1eVHSp3rJRCDmpSu9PrBNvXGb-1aV4hFkJ0YKB-xoPU4hI/s320/389762_10150611597533037_721148036_9337020_1918331335_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732085992410489938" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 320px; " /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The novel moves at a filmic pace with quickly changing events, characters an</span>d places presented through the lens of a deft cameraman/writer. Not only do we meet the Devil and his angry wife Lillith, but God and his wife, St. Peter, Leviathan, Asmodeus, the Angel of Death and some other world class deities. The human cast includes a best friend, past lovers, frenemies, a psychotic editor and a few select rock stars. Much of the action takes place in the author's home town of Copenhagen, in particular a club called Alcatraz where the protagonist has a cult following for her karaoke performances. Once she accepts the Devil’s Faustian offer, we’re off on whirlwind journeys to hell, heaven and back through the door of a house in Brooklyn. We also get to stay in Room 822 at the Chelsea Hotel, very different from the demonic Room 237 in the Shining . . .</p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaywM4Ajlwcb6Mwi7TXZclwBArQv0vfSEHSvj6uMqQWjty7meSCGhZX1KVk_bc_Zo45g6ZU_K-WKXNtR-nR_5b3-2c3l9A3AtpF2HGAEEociQdqfMDmBYdoRtQ1QZoExDJGIki8ADAI4U/s320/417079_10150578216043037_721148036_9213405_73860151_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732085832777474770" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 193px; height: 320px; " /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">So what do we learn about the Devil? He takes on the human form of a notorious rock star (minus the tats), wears black, hides behind aviator shades and announces his presence through a labdanum rich perfume. As the keeper of negativity he tends to have a bad temper and is prone to bad behavior as well. But there are other aspects to his character that are revealed as the novel progresses which provide insights into the pathos of his situation that only our heroine is able to rectify. The source of his malady is Lilith, his estranged wife and her scheming son Asmodeus. This is not the Midrashic Lilith, Adam’s first wife as presented by Theodore Gaster in his World of Myth class at Barnard College, nor Ashmedai who may have been the source of the Merlin character (the subject of my term paper), but a vengeful harpy surrounded by her Succubi who threaten to unleash hell and devour the world.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cf6lOozGNeKXsvq1dwJItUfqkxus5bdExNZT-UHD6RUh_dedn6HuzhoM3bmUppKwlKUZpIWMwIKV7ll3T7FWXOEyZCBjcqIiIzSXSiiAd2j-zQhrMzQGrTEcYXibD_G0sTriLamp-n4/s320/crook_flail.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732085601367459170" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Our protagonist is seduced by the devil into saving the world and the instrument of her seduction is his fragrance. Having consciously married a man for his scent and quit a job because of chronic halitosis, this comes as no surprise. So why not save the world? The key ingredient in the Devil’s perfume is labdanum, a note that can be incensy, leathery, animalic, sweet, rich and ambery. It is an ancient aromatic that is still harvested using the traditional method of combing the Cistus creticus or ladaniferous resin from the beards of grazing goats, the symbol of the horny one himself. This method is so old that it was incorporated into Egyptian pharonic iconography. Descendants of Neolithic goat herders, Egyptian pharaohs built their wealth and subsequent power through the labdanum trade and were subsequently shown sporting the crook (symbol of goatherder), flail (actually a ladanesterion used to collect labdanum directly from the plant) and beard (made with goat hair and stuck to the chin using labdanum). The crook, flail and beard were also associated with Osiris, the god of the underworld and the dead, or the Egyptian equivalent of Eggenberger’s “Dev”. </span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymwcGMx8ly1OLTL5FGbKXhQckofW1gbIET64-OlEDqjlx5eXEjtDZokh1z__ZLAWFcGohNz-CdqfZsiLbw6vlU3yBxDyihBvXlrBsFHMvuaLJnFkkkwPt1ihUWumbOy9AHInbTXZM248/s320/373675_217427791678471_1954696291_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732085147535757778" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 194px; " /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Eggenberger is not only a creative novelist with an amazing command of </span>the English language (like Nabokov), but is known amongst Perfumistas as “Tarleisio”, the author of a perfume blog called “The Alembicated Genie”. There she undertakes the supremely difficult task of writing engaging reviews of perfumes and has a dedicated following that includes yours truly. The origins of The Devilscent Project took place through this venue as a collaboration with the perfumer Ellen Covey of Olympic Orchids. The project has now expanded to become the DevilScent Project where six perfumers have been invited to create perfume interpretations of the novel as their brief. A number of bloggers have also been invited to review these fragrances and The Architecture of Perfume is proud to be part of this interdisciplinary effort.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcEm5LSqtPDAcu4JwOoMnINSBejzVh2FArCN9lQ6d00lnmP88pjELuxGN8mQtnSNF5MKKm-OIB4GAMCQVf1n99eN3XNB9cTFRgwBsg28ROnzUNJJNQ7lrKJbQMX3OtEwlxrnGjFD88nY/s320/555719_10150661638498037_721148036_9517793_69635317_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732084889452931650" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 232px; height: 320px; " /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">There have been a number of perfume themed novels recently that have launched dedicated fragrances, but this is different. It is a rare opportunity for dialogue to inform the collaboration between the artists and writers who are working at their own expense. Already perfume modifications are being sent back and forth for evaluation and the results are being recorded through various blog posts. In the coming months I look forward to helping define this interdisciplinary collaboration that is being democratically moderated by Sheila Eggenberger. I always dreamed something like this would happen when I was working as an architect, but now it seems it will unfold for me as a perfumer/critic, and you can be a part of it too. </span>How exciting is that?! <span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Quantum Demonology, chapters 1-13:</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://quantumdemonology.wordpress.com/" _mce_href="http://quantumdemonology.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://quantumdemonology.wordpress.com</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Quantum Demonology on Facebook: </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quantum-Demonology/162894267077952" _mce_href="../../../pages/Quantum-Demonology/162894267077952" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quantum-Demonology/162894267077952</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">QD on Twitter:</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">@quantumdemon</p><p></p><p></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">PERFUMERS: </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Ellen Covey, Olympic Orchids</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.orchidscents.com/Default_v3.aspx" _mce_href="http://www.orchidscents.com/Default_v3.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://www.orchidscents.com/Default_v3.aspx</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://perfumenw.blogspot.com/" _mce_href="http://perfumenw.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://perfumenw.blogspot.com</a> (blog)</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Kedra Hart, Opus Oils</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.opusoils.com/" _mce_href="http://www.opusoils.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://www.opusoils.com</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://scentsofimagination.blogspot.com/" _mce_href="http://scentsofimagination.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://scentsofimagination.blogspot.com</a> (blog)</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Neil Morris, Neil Morris Fragrances</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://neilmorrisfragrances.com/" _mce_href="http://neilmorrisfragrances.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://neilmorrisfragrances.com/</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Amanda Feeley, Esscentual Alchemy</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://esscentualalchemy.wordpress.com/" _mce_href="http://esscentualalchemy.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://esscentualalchemy.wordpress.com/</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Alexis Karl, Scents by Alexis & Cherry Bomb Killer Perfumes: </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.cherrybombkillerperfume.com/" _mce_href="http://www.cherrybombkillerperfume.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://www.cherrybombkillerperfume.com/</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Maria McElroy, Aroma M: </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.aromam.com/" _mce_href="http://www.aromam.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://www.aromam.com</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Katlyn Breene, Mermade Magickal Arts:</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.mermadearts.com/" _mce_href="http://www.mermadearts.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://www.mermadearts.com/</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">(incense)</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br /></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">BLOGGERS:</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The Alembicated Genie</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://thealembicatedgenie.com/" _mce_href="http://thealembicatedgenie.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://thealembicatedgenie.com</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Chaya Ruchama</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://chayaruchama.com/" _mce_href="http://chayaruchama.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://chayaruchama.com</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Indieperfumes</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://indieperfumes.blogspot.com/" _mce_href="http://indieperfumes.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://indieperfumes.blogspot.com</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Perfume Smellin' Things</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://perfumesmellinthings.blogspot.com/" _mce_href="http://perfumesmellinthings.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://perfumesmellinthings.blogspot.com/</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The Perfume Pharmer</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">www.theperfumepharmer.com</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The Perfume Posse</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">htto://<a href="http://www.perfumeposse.com/" _mce_href="http://www.perfumeposse.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">www.perfumeposse.com</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">This Blog Really Stinks</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://thisblogreallystinksperfume.blogspot.com/" _mce_href="http://thisblogreallystinksperfume.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://thisblogreallystinksperfume.blogspot.com/</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Beauty on the Outside</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://BOTOblog.com/" _mce_href="http://BOTOblog.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://BOTOblog.com</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Redolent of Spices</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://redolentofspices.wordpress.com/" _mce_href="http://redolentofspices.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://redolentofspices.wordpress.com/</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Another Perfume Blog</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://anotherperfumeblog.com/" _mce_href="http://anotherperfumeblog.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://anotherperfumeblog.com/</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The Muse In Wooden Shoes</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://themuseinwoodenshoes.com/" _mce_href="http://themuseinwoodenshoes.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">http://themuseinwoodenshoes.com/</a></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br /></p><p></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"></p>Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-65793622576513379812012-02-14T21:23:00.000-08:002012-02-14T23:07:33.360-08:00The Language of Flowers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUu9_amGUmTXf7N3X5sFvL0Qq0t-ADke2qtq7ckLYIVLVpPERpFnuopFstH6IKH5S3SAhnwTnTsfyOCiRxqWl7yxRxX1EPnb0YhvJFFBpIg3Eu2XWvZoUroLOlKsQ6kNbO67KLHOUdBaM/s1600/P1010112.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUu9_amGUmTXf7N3X5sFvL0Qq0t-ADke2qtq7ckLYIVLVpPERpFnuopFstH6IKH5S3SAhnwTnTsfyOCiRxqWl7yxRxX1EPnb0YhvJFFBpIg3Eu2XWvZoUroLOlKsQ6kNbO67KLHOUdBaM/s200/P1010112.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709229584562465938" /></a><div><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Aromatic flowers are practically synonymous with perfume. Aside from their be</span>auty, their scent is what captivates our imagination. As such, flowers have long been viewed as symbols of love and their scent, the vehicle of this emotion. Perfumers have been keen to capture this aphrodisiac quality so that our bodies could readily be adorned with their aura. While flowers have long conveyed meaning (i.e. red rose=romantic love, narcissus=egoism, etc.) it was the Victorians who perfected a language of flowers, so they could convey a sentiment or message without words.</p></div><div> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "></span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY87A3TsiOjnM-kp1ycT8HTkgUkoSX85aneoBjYcwNmPw3E4vX_FwOo1tfz3vbL7RHJg0z9Apx6LM23hO1FHT7L4W3cBQ0YS9bW4eefwMW58CDa4xji8wspa6KPCq85AjoCaiPzaPnh34/s200/lily_of_the_valley.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709239938002974514" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 147px; height: 200px; " /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">In his essay, “The Language of Flowers” George Bataille critiques this sent</span>imental approach to flowers and proposes an alternative interpretation that is modern, complex and perplexing. While he acknowledges the aphrodisiac qualities of flowers, he proceeds to deconstruct their ideal beauty and reveal their sordid nature. Beneath the colorful corolla lies “dirty traces of pollen” and a “satanically elegant” stamen. The external beauty of flowers distracts us from recognizing their perverse “hairy sexual organs”, far from the human ideal as espoused by the great philosophers and their categorical imperative. For Bataille, flowers are oppositional in that they interpenetrate reason with bestial unreason. In his previous essay, “The Solar Anus”, Bataille states that the communist worker appears as ugly and dirty as “hairy sexual organs” to the bourgeois. So by undermining the western obsession with the ideal, there is a politicizing aspect to his critique as well.</p></div><div><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "></span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxy9vklh9i1QqF1cGsnmHlSzBA6W3WshSwimDnotV0ksEgcy97aGKxXTlWmaLK1m3Y2IJClc7mLWhD9zu_RNgeAZBgkAatzbZQ4PvHQrxtwnMvREwAQXEpA79qRsP95jGscAlDYaxiMQ/s200/artwork_images_117613_649575_robert-mapplethorpe.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709239415025793842" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px; " /></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Bataille’s language is obscure, almost poetic, y</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">et some of his </span>statements border on the hilarious: “flowers do not age honestly like leaves, which lose nothing of their beauty, even after they have died; flowers wither like old and overly made-up dowagers, and they die ridiculously on stems that seemed to carry them to the clouds”. He follows that thought with the tragicomic opposition of the “death-drama” carried out between the earth and sky where we learn the “banal truth” that “love smells like death”. By extension, since flowers embody love, they too, smell of death.</p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "></span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBu4ty8Vdie-2pXnLcmVsIn1tM9q5AyzggPTujBdZbjjGUb_0i5-miiR31_f6LJHq2XyhpUvWmSlEvgkppuWnBP_UUxkmhY4Iz9v41eMMOj4gHl7KB2_-muK-9QmNOLXSjUJeKnH37CM/s200/6a00d8341c136453ef0133ee4c47bb970b-320wi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709241582744540338" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px; " /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Bataille was trained as a medievalist librarian and worked at the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris until 1942. He must have come in contact with seminal texts, in particular those of the alchemists. Much of his writing is infused with alchemical imagery and shrouded by enigma. Certainly his emphasis on the dissolution, death and putrefaction of the flower seems like a direct reference to alchemical transformation, or at least a part of it: “after a very short period of glory the marvelous corolla rots indecently in the sun, thus becoming, for the plant, a garish withering.” He describes the roots of the plant as “swarming under the surface of the soil, nauseating and naked like vermin”. The roots, he continues, “represent the perfect counterpart to the visible parts of a plant” and are base in the sense that they are connected to what is evil. He even conjures up the satanic image of the mandrake root, the mystical plant of alchemists. It is easy to recognize the roots of a plant as oppositional, but Bataille demonstrates that flowers inherently represent those qualities as well.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "></span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQgDeJgspnirjsmrCwCtgP7zoWCWn26itJQ7bE_mrsnTcET0URwjsd0IRT_7rpQqwBXVImKgWDppRhJlO3mQAKCfkHGw7FnVGveat0cmQz-N58hbLy7MswTcg9C77UorLc3bVfg8kzB4/s200/nigredo-heartcurrents-alchemy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709244474326740482" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 170px; " /></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">What is Ba</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">taille seeking to achieve by tearing down the image of the flow</span>er as noble and showing it to be putrid and base? There are so many layers to this essay: philosophical, political, psychological and religious. Bataille seems to be lashing out at all of these “establishmentarians”, but to what end? In the last sentence of the essay, Bataille references the Marquis de Sade who had the most beautiful roses delivered to him only to “pluck off their petals and toss them in to a ditch filled with liquid manure.” Like Sade, Bataille is “substituting natural forms for abstractions” because even elevated thoughts, like flowers, can end up getting dragged through the mud. Bataille was interested in this type of “heterogeneous matter”, subjects so repulsive as to defy all convention. In the manner of a true alchemist he brings together the oppositional realms of the very high to the very low.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "></span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiet_oj6bdnY68snd3mpmKSRHWUeaA-PyyJ_fjk5Jp4318HmA2FzsdFRGeORR5ua4vHmZ1vJIy5Zk7YGLwy7oKFa2QRZkuAo9qv8JWVyQprIWvwjWAenuywWMPrbxdwm7XYi-dzbn1j_fc/s200/rose-petals-on-dirt-by-bad-music-laine-flickr.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709246741734211202" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">It is interesting to note that “The Language of Flowers” was published in Documents (Documents 3, June 1929), an art review founded by Bataille and other surrealists like Andre Breton, who criticized Bataille publicly for this essay and his reference to Sade, labeling him an “excremental philosopher”. While this essay could be viewed within its surrealist context, it seems more fitting to position Bataille’s oeuvre in relation to its alchemical roots. Bataille was the first philosopher whose work was written using suggestive language, rich allegories and word play instead of abstract, analytic and discursive methods that filtered out the brute physicality of the world. This was the method of inquiry employed by alchemists before the advent of scientific methodology. At times Bataille’s texts read like a riddle, cryptic and coded and highly evocative of an alchemical image that encodes knowledge. Bataille seems to have deliberately chosen to write his philosophy through an alchemical lens that obscures the idiom and makes his work that much more layered and complex, offering alternate paths of interpretation. </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "></span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjv-yvWb3MRSuL1YEyD-TMCuAzZc-YzLLTxka0nIl3DQqbgadhP7YsAtU8x3jV-KPqy1Tsr8-TUtVBtuvgjZLrmVd-Ks4coc52EaKS7-glDXFNq1k_SJH1amqkOoMsDDvDvEXrTox7VE/s200/newton-alchemy-in.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709250435579859026" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px; " /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">For perfumers, “The Language of Flowers” confirms the notion that floral notes are not always pretty and limpid, but can hide a dark, fetid side that lends them complexity like the indole found in jasmine, the animalic musk in rose and the earthy-rootiness of orris. It works the other way too; where one senses a hint of floral sweetness in hyraceum, castoreum and ambergris. An undercurrent of this theme is the connection between the world of perfumery to that of alchemy through the transformation of plant matter into aromatics. The image of Sade tossing fresh rose petals into a manure ditch, this alembication of high with low, combining beauty with baseness is the essence of perfumery.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHq-StixlFIyH1ZPC2fYxgZgn5jrHTGxbrsDP5offsJd2_ZzoOVa0EKrdBGf5_oTrzumMO3Kz71l-GkGWY1jXRRqj8wN1h1IUP-5zXGN09n5VlpCBsl1ykQupmvW27yUjZ5a_BqxUu0Yc/s200/764px-Ernst%252C_Rodolphe_-_The_Perfume_Maker.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709254812834643378" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 157px; " /></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We remain captivated by the sillage of these thoughts.</span></p></div>Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-72152905242977435882011-07-07T13:34:00.000-07:002011-07-11T20:07:19.669-07:00Form Follows Fragrance<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuP4FNnrCI5_6V__-pfAFOWRMJqal0o5koultLK0jen8gHOCtlks1BBgGyqqmktWAjuUk7AdpI0e3L_GhryK7uhpW2gqj87zOg96aFR66NXLoGvrjvhzfliHEPPsuuPhzdcu_PpyyP-pc/s1600/IMG_1062.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="text-align: justify;float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuP4FNnrCI5_6V__-pfAFOWRMJqal0o5koultLK0jen8gHOCtlks1BBgGyqqmktWAjuUk7AdpI0e3L_GhryK7uhpW2gqj87zOg96aFR66NXLoGvrjvhzfliHEPPsuuPhzdcu_PpyyP-pc/s200/IMG_1062.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627163086514540802" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A perfume cannot exist without its container. Perfume bottles have been around for millenia, </span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">in</span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">triguing us with their essen</span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">ces. The perfumes themselves may have evaporated, but the forms linger and speak for the vanished contents. These ancient vessels are still as relevant today as they were when they </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">were first created. The perfume bottle has indeed transcended time.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:100%;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OgAMJOZ4cbTHpwR6O1bAeXjKjrSzr5seOqalwfwZ-O6qWUIdK-G79AKD9MncmMQIrC-8mbvu7tVEXmX7eyk7Byf-JZrM7jcNwCsdyeDfeUFgKhzP5xHWwvIJcZyxblfaxO1YScBoCjM/s200/P1010058.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627157464402097138" />In order to understand how the perfume bottle has remained timeless I thought I would make one. There were several functional requirements that would have to be met. The bottle would have to be non-porous and protect the fragile essences from sunlight and oxidation, be non-reactive against the corrosive action of the volatile oils/alcohol and be proportioned to contain the precious liquid, about 1/2 ounce. There would also have to be a small opening so that the perfume could be applied without spilling and the orifice closure would have to prevent evaporation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The natural materials available ended up being limited to glass, stone, glazed ceramic or stainless steel, the same materials one would use to cook acidic foods. Glass would have to be blown, cast or ground. Stone would have to be chiseled or ground. Steel would have to be forged.</div><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "></span><div style="text-align: center;"></div><p color="#341b00" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><img style="text-align: justify;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 200px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjng7pjzbi_oixZRn39S0SyVe7no8pXfvoFc5UYZZyyP-2vd4giW9Xw7NXlVZuzFXHgNBsHTR3Pxy8AwyMtu7bTCLmXj-GM6WwVkZdn1kZ-48FUHMqhrKc_Pj8sI_aRalZuxRSwfZsvYWE/s200/10_01_24_Humanity__0025.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627162195558854946" /><img style="text-align: justify;float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdwcLL6JQuw5gcFEWdQI7OWhyhVjkdxVr0olnaD0fCtsQF7CNT9Uz18WLdUroT1RHNBviMpjml-KO0odrmpQDKkUEIn-0Q1X34E3YLM8OvYVprp_WdM2kQ8glpBRFYZSABNgZxofqNQo/s200/31QAlx5ggXL._SL400_.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627162762821970722" /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZC0xjxk2NATIPeqEX2nHMYReHPYTSL8NYT5uJ8TUY2GTilAVkY33G3LA_yFnqxKO7JhTBzoPQg6_Qj-Zc4QhTzlOrOxneMbYzR8g8XvTX8haAJ57eGDj3dJuBesA-8NVjYdQaxvfsDAw/s200/quartz_big02.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627141239372507538" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 200px; " /></span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPw_lZKOOdHAGTRYMzcJsY6obW9rVOSmIOGDLB6F-K_ZdPb2HPJYJALDUSWfNOuhsNZllKuimrPgjEqHNL5COnXFYOgZUWvRFbJ3OvdnSMGUR7vQm5kKqIpAWS9PRlkanzmR92t7aMzk/s200/joya-duo.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627141525169880210" style="text-align: justify;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 114px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(52, 27, 0); font-size:medium;"></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(52, 27, 0); font-size:medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Ceramic would have to be formed and glazed. An unglazed terracotta pendent, however, could be the ideal vehicle for wearing a natural perfume as it would hold onto the volatile notes and diffuse them slowly. But that’s the subject of a different exploration . . . Of all the methods, the one that afforded the most plasticity and availability was ceramics. Since I had taken a ceramics class (two years ago), I decided to practice throwing in miniature.</span></div></span><p></p><p color="#341b00" style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 12px; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeuPsCuUbTff_5aCGENhhncLgvPWlVKa_4GNdtsomQHC_zI-xGUlt2jHdDFuHPncUfDK-ATqr-UXZA0LTpGzosx2sh22YWZCa8nSxl4IllKBN_o6GPq3G3VhsL3hk4_PJSyRUtDaBYDo/s200/P1010060.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627160386970091010" style="text-align: justify; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px; " /></p><div style="text-align: justify;">The forms that resulted were limited by my technical ability, but yielded a surprising variety of shapes. Perhaps unconsciously influenced by the work of Jonathan Adler</div><p color="#341b00" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "></span></span></p><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBDv5F6JW9mRlH38yoCT7CAvAnY2CYNnW_xRb0ehXZjb24u_swjRYQLU0cSB8ziEq9VC21bb5Z-Hcu6G4uq_OsmRt_O1NdX2tKu5wFAhcdATFUmWYp4_XRkvjW2BhpWnFVnqLWO41al4/s200/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627165337042010098" style="text-align: justify;float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8zns_EksFuOJrg7CTOoAvkib4MFn2H4vNWnxF69Z58FqcY6ycel6XNfNN0R8ryxIOeQ2wiyZbR4vAvijgOi4-CSslaiDo8dYoj5xQmw_bzdQtXtIyElBcQmxfm_QzYRHjgL0bSjOsx8/s200/newadler2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627141608724518210" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px; " /></span><div style="text-align: justify;">or the generic genie bottle each flagon took on a different shape, all under two inches high.</div></div><div><br /></div><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><p color="#341b00" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "></span></span></p><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "></span></div><img style="text-align: justify;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXc6l3Vj1W0C6fLJNGWkACzXW6A0IEwo4AIBZu_GU8iKVKaoEUs_bi7KX4-yxbS-vwHqKqayn_G0wrAO8Lfnh0gRQZLvRLCUj8zO46IYs1sZfO74n_pqXopHVq-_ymqridMFEGbaOWeJ8/s200/IMG_1067.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627147011039360370" /></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; ">There is an amusing similarity between one of the bottles and the bulb extractor given to me at the hospital last </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; ">November after my daughter was born. </span>Hmmm, I wonder if those bulb extractors could hold perfume . . .</div></span><p color="#341b00" style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 12px; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsyl1W0Fp9JalwKqyFJHfc3xIzfjw2os36ui8K4GOizGP5234ZFEIjOdsSrOPuoJcxfAHJ2O9WTYezhLKTFQqELaJJuyuf9QS6Tneie40L1VXjWkyu1Sz0C_ZPTyI13m8S_4mUUhok90/s200/P1010055.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627161372514284562" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; " /></p><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0MrkXslrNu4X2zfETsYJ2l4K9khcfoE5L3iYhIZ8uSIWpdXOoMqppK7IIoeVisJOGxUOcpy567EnlHs3vccL4DSuqvNT2SFLwjNPfqoZliOkpVpBtwL3SeERw4HTX43AOn1XmbeaCqY/s200/P1010046.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627172340874110402" style="text-align: justify;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 200px; " /><div style="text-align: justify;">Aside from the formal study, other basic issues such as materiality and decoration were explored. Since I was not proficient enough to use porcelain, a material better suited to such small scale work, I chose a clay body with a fine grit which I highlighted by leaving a portion of the exterior unglazed. The bottle interior, however, had to be glazed and non-porous. Depending on how the pieces were dipped, the interior glaze sometimes overlapped the exterior glaze and resulted in some unexpected results and flaws. This contrast between glazed and unglazed surfaces was the only decorative element used.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><p color="#341b00" style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p color="#341b00" style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p color="#341b00" style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p color="#341b00" style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "></span></span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpK44J6MIxgNkB95Muf8D89ZSthsH9Ynggn3AXQYyYTykKvre0WYbseIV3FyX5GU2R8UyePg52yvrxeFtoXy85L4_imWkEJ9MZ1o4ALweWuObnbpyIuWKQ8WdArNflfqcQFy_ktzTrQ_s/s200/P1010044.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627173001136011074" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 166px; " /><br /></p><p color="#341b00" style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Another challenge was to pull the bottle walls thin enough without compromising their structural integrity. This would help reduce material weight and ensure the bottles were proportional. The top had to be finished so that a cork stopper would fit properly. Cork was chosen because of its traditional use in perfumery and availability. In order to figure out volume, each bottle had to be filled with water before measuring out the perfume. No other identifying details such as labels or tags were used except for a signet ring imprint (did ancient perfumes have labels?). Finally, the bottles were not created with a particular perfume in mind, but were the end result of an exploration of perfume containment as a concept and analogous to study models or sketches used architecturally to analyze an idea.</span></p><p color="#341b00" style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p color="#341b00" style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 12px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "></span></span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdmgfzdHQUNqupIUbt92FNlE1wxWi7Ok516f1kpZh9tXvasUO6N5AzFWGmja3lbSsPFfGNteCLTwMmyKCZKTel1erjbl8NpofNv1yDTu4WtsaI-TN8yavh9C9LaZCggf8zomgfKD0Ji4/s200/P1010063.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627164417230742050" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 187px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My handmade ceramic perfume bottles work well and have an appeal that is almost toylike. They are reminiscent of the miniature Chinese ceramic jugs shown below that are almost 2,000 years old. As much as I enjoyed this experiment, the modern day exigencies of perfume selling would make my ceramic bottles highly impractical. Although form follows fragrance, there are practical considerations that have to be met. I will have to revisit this topic in the near future when I am ready to launch my first perfume.</span></p><p color="#341b00" style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "></span></span></p><p color="#341b00" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0p-1LVZ6FTRHR-8XWyDLQB82LlHI87t7fOSYBhfgIML-hPDVHvZsoCLe3LId57mI4biKaObE5ZOSwbDn-752TT96iiAivcc-Rdlve5RjXi0ZhHXD3OsyiafdqxmbwLy8_V7VXhNODYu0/s200/IMG_1072.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627147172366822402" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></span></p><p></p></span></span><p></p>Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-40669702541436627462011-05-18T23:37:00.000-07:002011-05-18T23:51:14.298-07:00Ghosts<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px">I recently salvaged a stash of old perfumes which included some vintage Chanel No. 5, Miss Dior and other more contemporary scents from the 70‘s and 80’s. It was such a pleasure to experience them, knowing they were no longer in production, at least the way they were formulated at the time. They reminded me of old buildings; we continue to inhabit them, but they are shells of their former selves. And yet traces of the past can be sensed like ghostly reminders. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px">I was surprised to discover that some of the unknown scents had murky bases full of labdanum, oakmoss, vanilla and patchouli. Contrast that to the metallic brightness favored today. These old perfumes actually unfolded on my skin, leading me to believe they contained high percentages of naturals. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px">Another surprise was how these old compositions were all about the base, exuding richness and complexity in lieu of lightness and transparency. Some might associate this with an “old lady” smell, but I realized that at some point in time, base notes were treasured in women’s perfumery. The leathery Miss Dior reminded me of a handsome satchel worn with a houndstooth suit and black stilletos. This Miss Dior could kick the crap out of any modern day sylph and yet her ladylike persona defined </span>restraint.</p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vQziJfkiXcDQ8JniX8DarHXqPpmKJpYBrsOdzhWWoBIXDfDUnDxf-Zhv1d23a7Ks4Uc-X58YnjszaGUrS8XXTR-8iLXa8PFj9fU0eFHJjSV6mWowNVystMWz342cEYegqUY2Z91C_VM/s200/_CBpq6BgBmk___KGrHqJ__kwE0FDWzu_eBNIilWSRew___12.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608315760550486594" /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px">When my mother smelled it on my wrist she said it instantly transported her back </span>to New York in the 1950’s, when Miss Dior was a popular choice for young women with new found jobs. I may not have known my mother back then but I was able to imagine her as a 22 year old music school grad working her job at RCA and for a moment was connected to her in her past.</p>Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-64960124579494457212010-10-04T14:56:00.000-07:002010-10-07T11:06:51.229-07:00Mystery of Musk Perfumes<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:16px;"><b><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Craving</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">, Perfumes by Nature (Ambrosia Jones) </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Dionysus</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">, Lord’s Jester (Adam Gottschalk)</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Drifting Sparks</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">, Artemisia Natural Perfume (Lisa Fong)</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Eau Natural</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">, DSH Perfumes (Dawn Spenser Hurwitz)</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Graines de Paradis</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">, Sharini Parfums Naturels (Nicolas Jennings)</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Kewdra</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">, Anya’s Garden (Anya McCoy)</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Musk Verdigris</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">, BellyFlowers Perfume (Elise Pearlstine)</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Sensual Embrace</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">, JoAnne Bassett (JoAnne Bassett)</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Tallulah B</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">, A Wing and a Prayer Perfumes (Jane Cate)</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Temple of Musk</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">, Strange Invisible Perfumes (Alexandra Balahoutis)</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 15.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This is a rogue review of the perfume compositions that were submitted to the Mystery of Musk competition in July 2010 and was done in collaboration with Paul Kiler (the “Real” reviewer) who allowed me to crash the party. We decided to look at 10 perfumes and comparatively evaluate how each approached the perfumer’s interpretation of musk. Since we no longer have real musk as a reference point, all perfumes attesting to muskiness had to be creative interpretations stemming from the imaginations of the perfumers themselves. Adding complexity to this issue was the wearers own pre-conceived notion of what a musk should smell like. So what pops up when one thinks of musk? Jovan? Patchouli-donning flower children smoking musky pot? Men’s underarm deodorant that’s fresh but sexy? It turns out the interpretations offered by the perfumers were much more varied and sophisticated than the one-liners we have grown to expect</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p></b></span></span></span></span></div><img style="text-align: justify;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9xrZnR_K3kovtuUQdfzQqFbfs6rlJm5MFTqzaQWLhoGZJ8uq1bBCqCrtj4JrqexXTHE58gKrDnqpeLclF8lezvBIxoEwe1ez_8CAqwhi3fGRJ5lwBL7L63OV7rStUL-TVrRgA4IkwsA/s200/enfleurage-working-on-chassis.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524337669731771346" /><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Let’s begin with </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Graines de Pa</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">rad</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">is</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> since the philosophy behind the perfume tugged at my heartstrings with stories of hand-picked broom blossoms authentically and painstakingly enfleuraged in organic unguents and charmed into existance. Make no mistake, this is a gorgeous floral and the more I work with naturals, the more I realize how difficult it is to create a floral composition that maintains its structure without succumbing to a base or getting beaten up by top notes. And yet this perfume is long lasting even if its sillage grows faint. Although I’m sure Nicolas Jennings invested countless hours creating this scent for the project, I can’t help but think that many of the accords were worked out previously. This perfume is just too perfect to have been created within the timeframe of the competition which is a legitimate approach. But where was the musk hiding? After having enjoyed the pure and perfect scent of gardenia, jasmine, tiare and other flowers, perhaps I forgot about it or just wasn’t able to peel away the floral layers to uncover a musk, just a rooty base. I could smell the Paradis but not the Graines (de musc).</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></b></p><img style="text-align: justify;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 200px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfw8yo-NJsXMQwg9_YPfp_o18z2KTHKJV1S4eLoMfBJFTJnjhcUJJCEUG2C9e9fECmA2Mz1GhL9z6GA1okYAiUceFyfDCwU19CDwleWJxYvolUuOjdD441TUrfJz2iYGI31dotwf1KdU/s200/article-1017274-02511F2B0000044D-245_233x381.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524336921472140882" /><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Craving</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, on the other han</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">d, demonstrated the perfumer’s strong understanding of materials to arrive at a scent that was able to evoke coffee without having </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">any in it. It was certainly one of the more unusual submissions, bucking convention and flirting with the potentially hazardous terrain of creating a </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">heretofore unbeknownst category; gourmand musk. Ambrosia Jones has created a whole new definition for musk, one that involves our craving for sensuous food. I’m all for this kind of endeavor. In fact, I was hoping something like this would happen. Since few of us have ever smelled musk grains, why not allow ourselves the freedom to explore the issue. I was able to learn a lot about Ambrosia by simply smelling her perfume. She is a wild child, older and wiser now, perhaps with grown children, or maybe even grandchildren, but still seeing the world as a garden of earthly delights through which she can romp with all her senses. Her name “Ambrosia” sums it up. While I was left wanting to smell musk in Graines de Paradis, I was not disappointed by its absence in Craving. In fact, the implied musk in her perfume became all the more satisfying.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So if Craving implied musk, which perfume stated it? The hands down answer would have to be </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Dionysus</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, the most unabashedly musky, fecal/feral interpretation of the bun</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">ch. I’m not sure Dionysus is the right name for this rutty scent one would rather attribute to the god Pan . . . or to a werewolf! To </span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">my mind, Dionysus w</span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">as more of a dissipated sophisticate who originated partially from peasant stock (his father was Zeus, his mother a mortal), not a lewd he-go</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">at. Frankly, I’m scared to try it on. Maybe I could sneak up on my husband, spray some on him and then suffer the conjugal consequences . . .</span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 15.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></p><img style="text-align: justify;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXO6fok1qBpRmHA3ojqnNrbXI7SxqbZKZ9XldvCr2j8IPPZt6ahvxjfwAbC8IIMQuCCc7HVBJMjG1i4eOUv_LUsnmaypjuyZ4N4HCuOBqy_oWTpz52bpWPR0DCUcOcBGmgPgD8v7vGGo/s200/C.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524333340068017058" /><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Another clear statement of musk came from Dawn Spenser Hurwitz whose elegant ambrette soliflore, </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Eau Natural</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, captured my imagination. Her perfume evolved from a simple statement about botanical musk to a warm and rich scent exploration replete with pepper and gourmand honey notes. The fact t</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">hat she was the only perfumer to restrict her aromatic palette to the notes listed in the competition brief while creating an incredible perfume is a testament to the clarity of her intentions. Eau Natural really does enhance the natural scent of skin in the buff or as the French would say “au naturel”.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></p><img style="text-align: justify;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNIufMJxZ9D90SdRq6EBVyLB1OUSPbvOn74fWprqaTlopTyT9h6xv_v7xdSFeWwWnq6IuQR1HdnPzJZUxzAkv2TEJCOTg5l2Z7mxQ6qYXyTs9urpm5FtBZ5Ok1o3O1JM8_lrQi-og1B0/s200/800px-Sicily_Selinunte_Temple_E_(Hera).JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524333428071533170" /><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I’m a huge fan of SIPerfumes’s Musc Botanique, but was surprised when I experienced <b>Temple of Musk</b>. Instead of the light, sheer sweetness of ambrette I was greeted by a discordant and somewhat camphorous opening that segued to an herbal accord. I was also mystified by the name, because the mandarin, blackcurrant and myrtle notes did not fit my concept of “Temple”, that of incense and mystery. Perhaps Ms. Balahoutis was trying to arrive at a cool herbal scent that could calm the body as the “Temple” of the soul? And then I thought this could be the start of a very interesting perfume. Temple of Musk certainly highlights the difficulty of the proposed project: to create a complete perfume in such a short period of time. I wish Ms. Balahoutis would pick up the gauntlet and complete her exploration so that she could better define her concept of Temple of which Musc Botanique is the quintessential Dionysian version. Perhaps Temple of Musk could become its Appolonian counterpart.</span></span></span></p></span><p></p><img style="text-align: justify;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWT581-qYC9ybdLYp_fp44KJDMzkHrDjjwE9iOlG6LinDuArE4Pwg3T5qvHDiYsohonSveac33evv46gUezjxcBxKNd1RBJWAq7P2-HZVQpUHiShO7jL116-5hTmLmvFR03ywQHUb99TQ/s200/india101kushan+mathura+2nd.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524334944554498466" /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Speaking of Dionysian revelry . . . which era captured that spirit in our recent history? The sixties, of course! And the perfume that best defined that feeling would have to be </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Kewdra</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. I loved the clever play on words, a cross between Kewra, a heady Indian Attar made from Pandanus flowers and Kudra, the curvy Indian heroine in Tom Robbins </span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Jitterbug Perfume</span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> who stays eternally young through her Kama Sutra practice and distillation of beet flowers. Kewdra comes on strong and stays strong seemingly for ever. The “great and powerful Oz” (Paul Kiler) declared that it had lasted a week on his scent strip! Kewdra is riotous and bawdy. Y</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">ou have to love Kewra in order to appreciate it as pandanus likes to take over the party. This could be a woman’s answer to Viagra!</span></span></div></span><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><img style="text-align: justify;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8wyN0L-u7QdnYGlxBF-FAsJWZnMfhwvMJup8ts2q91dAS7nbVwzbDNfpGRB7e27bp3JJzwq9Zhk_icmLrvwExfDpo95o17j70XgLI8gXhuF5klLxXMDljEQVvCMWLAeMvc9BqCzgLfs/s200/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524334533416774210" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Sensual Embrace</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, on the other hand reminded me of a classic perfume someone like Stevie Nicks would have worn in the seventies dressed in her vintage inspired lace outfits and </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">soft full curls (listen to “Gypsy” or “Leather and Lace” when you wear this perfume). I’m reminded of the antique shops I used to rummage for Victorian blousons and petticoats. By the late 70’s amber and patchouli were blended with antique rose for a more classic take on sensuality. Now I understand why JoAnne Bassett decided to call her perfume Sensual Embrace. Unlike the raw sexuality of the 60’s, her interpretation of musk is all about sensuality.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><img style="text-align: justify;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 200px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtn3VHWkT13s34tRb70N4mdfz65ngTzjlfCwXuAwnybP8o0gLhAGOmFoKrowORbQeDWDE0NfTGyHa8yAWh-ak0Fw3M9Tp6CauNhcVer14qDXH-ENbBEU1reDY98emb_iJ_V-MdWw0qrv0/s200/Three+Graces+Botticelli.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524333550580722194" /><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Musk</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Verdigris</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Drifting Sparks</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Talullah B</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> all share the bond of soft freshness and femininity. Drifting Sparks being the sweetest of the three, Verdigris the greenest and Talullah B the most watery. All three are balanced and expertly blended so that no note dominates but rather the whole creates a scent impression of soft, fresh musk. However, soft, fresh musk has become somewhat synonymous with deodorant in our contemporary culture, particularly Mum roll-on, a classic scent I happen to adore. While we’re on the topic of armpits, isn’t that exactly where we expect to smell our own funky human odors? So why not openly explore this dimension through perfume? I propose taking deodorants out of the closet, so to speak, to examine their potential. What I like about Mum is that it doesn’t simply mask body odor, but creates a veil between the scent of the wearer and the image of a feminine ideal. These three perfumes accomplish this while reminding us of the Three Graces; goddesses of charm, beauty and joy in their ability to delight.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">It’s not easy to create an animalic scent using botanical ingredients, but there are some impressive submissions that span the spectrum of interpretation. It’s also clear there is no single definition of musk and yet we can all pretty much agree that it is a quality that appeals to the animal side of us. I’m currently reading a book by Michel Odent, the father of water birth who argues that humans are mammals designed to give birth as such. Yet our culture has hi-jacked this natural process and attempted to turn it into a man-made conception. When did we loose sight of our most fundamental animal nature? Regardless of interpretation, it’s clear to me that a musk perfume should remind us that, despite our cultural proclivities, we are still and always will be, animals.</span></span></p>Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-77007159316273213792010-06-10T02:02:00.000-07:002010-06-10T08:30:38.456-07:00Public and Private Realm of Perfume - Part 2: Natural Perfumes<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px">In Part 1 I critiqued how contemporary perfumery had commercialized the public realm with a battery of strong scents analogous to olfactory billboards, each vying to grab our attention. This widespread and “loud” use of perfumes in so many products has reversed what was once the traditional use perfume; as a way to draw us into the private realm of the individual. Instead, we have become (sometimes unwilling) participants in the private lives of the people we encounter throughout the day and have lost touch with the scent environments of our natural world.</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"></span><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhT6bTktKxtMxdVv2BqHywgPB-ygsPrI0zbV0Dht4oS7tQzImXJbzf9c_G90BcZ7bmWQb0FVvZHqUgm1qwOicuBxIWn8ZCHnCVgqFYLbdoPbZMszzFfhADRD7m9u1wfXavILKDSg62uNE/s200/girl_perfume.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481100836161159730" /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px">Yet, I still love perfume. I enjoy the feelings they evoke, the memories they conjure and the beauty they offer. A world without perfume would quickly become boring and flat. Perfumes are virtually universal and timeless in their appreciation as they speak of culture. The ancients were crazy about them. Witness countless images of Roman ladies holding perfume bottles, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">Egyptians carrying perfumed cones on their heads, and exotic resins traveling the silk road. Perfume has been written into our sacred texts and even uncovered in tombs. There isn’t a culture that doesn’t have some form of scented experience. It is intrinsic to our human experience, and distinguishes us from animals but also ties us inextricably to the natural world. After all, our receptors register the same odor molecules that bees and other insects detect in flowers. If our noses only functioned to help us differentiate dangerous odors from benign, why would we have evolved such complex mechanisms to smell something as “superfluous” as a flower? It is this phenomena that compels us to create naturally derived aromatics. They connect us to the private life of the natural world where scent plays a major role in the complex dance between plants and animals.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><br /></span></p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeF4CNf_v1xPvfdwxpqaa2pNPhW_HD-7xWtU5q28JElUGObnp_bHmuk6vpauNhbcEJAiwUhqlaDDTr4PfHj33nvFSB8kaiwHPDCmCXDvQEGOaIhNnsOHJ6hNDKEib0rEjIj2iJFpeV2Ws/s200/attar3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481102693429012930" /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-weight: bold; ">Perfume Renaissance</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;">A renaissance is taking place in perfumery that extends back to the ancient practice of using aromatics derived from plants and animal sources to create fragrant compositions. For lack of a better term, it has come to be known as “natural perfumery”. Others call it “traditional” or “botanical” perfumery, but what it refers to is the use of naturally or traditionally derived essences to create perfumes. It eschews the use of synthetically derived aroma chemicals and additives. However, instead of looking backwards nostalgically, natural perfumery has embraced the multitude of new extraction techniques and novel essences that have expanded the palette from some 200 notes to well over 600. It has also revived an interest in traditional extraction methods that have existed for thousands of years, such as the production of attars and is protecting these art forms from being lost.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px">Although natural aromatics were used exclusively up until the end of the 18th century when synthetic compounds such as vanillin were discovered, the commercial perfume world has reacted harshly to the efforts of natural perfumers. They have gone so far as to say that it isn’t possible to create a perfume with naturals because they diffuse too quickly, have limited longevity, don’t have enough lift or sillage, vary from batch to batch and end up muddy. Really?</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"><b>Diffusivity</b></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifF4Ipfg_wK8fbLOVAUsZo5qWqysLkZOyayk6EHkNST6N67Hv5jby1oWRdKmrYz0jH0aJPMkjfQRc6oRkCINY12jutgRMfS11hduUrU1Z1uH1_uUBcywmoFH0_4mu0vQLU8rz714dYrd8/s200/Perfume500.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481163828768300674" /> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><b></b></p><b><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px">Most natural perfumes are structured on the diffusivity of the essences used in a composition. Top notes are essences that dry down and disappear within an hour, heart notes are those that last for 2-3 hours and base notes linger for 3-4 hours or more. As a result, natural perfumes change as they dry down since they do not contain fixatives to prevent top notes from dissipating or chemicals to help give them lift and sillage. The dry down allows for interesting structures to emerge as the wearer discovers new layers that reveal themselves over time. It’s a very different experience from the primarily linear structure of contemporary perfumes. Contemporary perfumes tend to smell pretty much the same when first applied as they do by the end of the day. A natural perfume evolves over time and has to smell appealing through all of its dry-down phases, not just hold together as a composition.</span></p></b><p></p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKI5L_23Arfc85xd0N_V7F0kTt6mu6PIpe2pWVSuzrms-XxK_H-UwTvZefDQcbr3ObqDYAQMvJrqoShyQuPhFdJRuusnet7hhfXVMZqu2CmTXZxWoI-_CMO7bBWXAfQGKrqD1Ue9uCA4/s200/BERNHR~1.GIF" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481164265095409714" /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Longevity</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "></span>The limited longevity of natural perfumes has been a subject of considerable debate and criticism. Why create a perfume if it’s only going to last for a few hours? Traditionally, perfumes were not only enjoyed on the body but also on handkerchiefs and gloves. The reason for this was the limited life of traditional perfumes on the skin. No one really knows why, but skin type and metabolism seem to be factors in how long a natural perfume will last. Dry skin tends to absorb scent molecules faster than oily skin. Warm skin diffuses scent better than cool. However, the same perfumes remain relatively “fixed” when applied to fabric or gloves. One could reach for a “mouchoir” and enjoy a perfume anytime without fatiguing ones olfactory receptors.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px">But there’s another argument in favor of perfumes with limited longevity and it has to do with how the nose perceives scent. In the morning, the nose is rested from it’s temporary paralysis of anosmic sleep and is most receptive to fresh, bright odors. By afternoon, the earlier hours of stimulation have somewhat desensitized the nose, so richer scents are needed. In the evening, the nose prefers the heavier scents typically associated with going out on the town. Natural perfumes lend themselves to this daily evolution of the nose. One can wear a citrus based cologne in the morning, a balsamic floral in the afternoon and a heavy oriental in the evening without fear of overlapping or muddling one’s perfumes.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"><b>Lift and Sillage</b></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8izUDN9Tbych4BUGLvIkaA0I1j_1yqNl2jImobMNnlPxpGZcpy6bpYLNa-ZW-WWHN8bqAT6VxFTjsrJAO_DhGAbkUwFNLi1t2w3fSGg1bj0zLYiKTB8PFEfzw1G3JnW2od1BXODGilIQ/s200/Picasso-Le-baiser.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481107317687446898" /> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px">Natural perfumes have also been criticized for not having enough “lift”. While some naturals have moderate lift, most tend to remain close to the body and are rarely perceived unless one is embraced. As such, they define the private realm of the individual. The sotto voce whisper of a natural perfume is a welcome change for those fatigued by loud sillage. Commercial perfumes may dominate the public realm, but natural perfumes define <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">the private.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b></p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcui2AZdkClTj52WnI-Er5QhxsimdkbUrN3i5oJ9j1WbEC6WH9Pa2h3J5ewpsO_j55VhmIp1JYJAtEOn1_0NY1mazQex_W2tQER3-ORZlZgI4TqYHNKyoBOT_X8xZFnvv_sOyeJkyofs/s200/800px-Harvest_in_Chablis_Premier_Cru_Fourchaume_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481107989092917602" /> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Variability </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "></span>Botanical extractions used in a natural perfume can vary fromseason to season and are dependent on the terroir or region where they are grown. Like wines, aromatic extractions can have “vintages” and some years may be better than others. Some extractions age well, while others oxidize quickly and this has to be taken into consideration when blending as no preservatives are added to natural perfumes. As a result, a natural perfume may not always smell exactly the same from batch to batch, unlike synthetic perfumes where many of the ingredients are created in a controlled environment so that a perfume will always smell the same. In effect, each natural perfume batch becomes a “limited edition” that is dependent on the subtle nuances offered by the elements used. These nuances may not always be perceptible to most. Like wine, variability in perfume editions can offer alternative dimensions that can be explored and savored. Each bottle of natural perfume is a unique entity. This differs greatly from the concept of mass-produced objects and is accepted for most artisanally produced items such as wine or cheese. So why not perfumes? After all, our sense of taste is wholly dependent on our nose, so why not view perfumes as an extension of our palate? That way a wearer can develop an expanded vocabulary of scent variability and, like a gourmet, be able to appreciate the subtle complexities, differences and finitude of a particular scent from edition to edition.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"><b>Complexity</b></span></p> <p color="#333333" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px">Botanical extractions used in natural perfumery are complex entities often containing hundreds of naturally occurring chemical constituents. Synthetic perfumes, on the other hand are made with mostly individual chemical constituents that have to be blended into complicated formulas in order to approach the equivalent of a natural. Many botanical extractions are already “rounded out” with their own top, middle and base notes and can be viewed as complete perfumes in and of themselves. Such is the case with attars that are by made by steam distilling a single aromatic into sandalwood essential oil. Two constituents, yet deliciously intricate.</span></p> <p color="#333333" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"></span></p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_Vk1by8fGoDXrmMPW6RN1aogBN5_JsZxxCIESksYCZWGorg_B6g4cNatWN_LZhbsXSjR-V4FCLi9Iq5WxBgSXnUT9GpJSgLDwDL1aRwvPaw1UO_V5qWMA-YQ1DIeQKwXcokUZuniri4/s200/alchemist.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481162600015787506" /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px">Blending naturals can be challenging as not all notes like to play well together. In addition, blends have to marry for a couple of months before they can be evaluated. A natural perfumer learns through experience which elements work together harmoniously, but after that it is up to the chemical reactions that take place in the bottle. There is an element of alchemy involved in this process that makes working with naturals so exciting, mysterious and unpredictable. Blends that start out coherent on the scent strip can end up muddy and those that smell off can end up brilliant. Simple combinations can end up better than elaborate formulas. So far, no one has quantified the process of creating natural perfumes, but why tamper with this inherent complexity and contradiction? Natural perfumery requires circular thinking and the willingness to work with variability, failure and change. It is the antithesis of structured linear thought associated with a scientific approach. A natural perfumer does not seek to tame or master his medium but rather strike a balance between the desires of the will and the outcome of circumstance.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"><b>Conclusion</b></span></p> <p color="#333333" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px">Commercial and natural perfumes differ greatly from one another. One dominates the public realm while the other defines the private. One clings to the body while the other transforms it. One sparkles with the virtuosity of our scientific age while the other speaks of fragility, subtlety, nuance and changeability. One is made by a chemist, the other an alchemist.</span></p><p color="#333333" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; "><br /></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrH_anq_Y8PQrWGDLQ5m1evVzYaYn03YxxgKVPhrLuiQS0sEgrpTHnlMcdUzKt0U3n9sX6kjBtsX-Xf-ydC5ZZxJ5kQrxQDsxS0Zfs0-sLXPYrYeLWNkUycOKn4BK_upVBVDRXTnGq8i8/s200/coty+chypre.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481163079165972402" /><p color="#333333" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px">Older commercial perfumes used higher percentages of natural ingredients in their blends. Many were eventually reformulated in the 1980‘s with synthetics because of skyrocketing costs, seasonal variability, discontinued ingredients, crop failure and even political unrest affecting the availability of natural ingredients. Cheaper and easier to obtain synthetic substitutes were no longer dependent on the vagaries of life. Recently, many of these classic perfumes have been reformulated again to satisfy the stringent requirements of IFRA. The result has changed the world of commercial perfumery to the extent that some scents are almost unrecognizable from their originals. When Luca Turin waxes poetic over the original version of a particular perfume, I can’t help but think the difference has to do with the naturals in the juice. But I also think about the history of older perfumes and how they captured a moment in time that can never be recreated. To me, that is art.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, serif;font-size:100%;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:12px;"><br /></span></span></div><br /><p></p>Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-2621035383410141652009-12-15T00:39:00.000-08:002010-04-23T12:46:44.485-07:00Public and Private Realm of Perfume - Part 1: Contemporary Perfumes<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#341b00;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Contemporary perfumes have become increasingly noticable in the public realm. Some are so strong that they are able to broadcast an individual upon entering a room. Others create a cloud-like aura that hovers throughout the day. They even leave their imprint in elevators, subways and office cubicles. Through the use of chemical extenders that emanate scent creating lift and sillage, fixatives that allow perfumes to last longer, and a palette of strong aromachemicals the modern perfumer appears to have unwittingly unleashed a chemical assault on the public. This has not gone unnoticed.</span></span></p></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, serif;font-size:100%;color:#333333;"><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#341b00;"><br /></p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIElFNf1cPjsOdk5IRHZakUvfMT_47VCHqy6UvMpjEPDsWTMj5fgGdSdfORcfFuZpC1Q0WXpUUcn4yi5O0DBj4MTcuGgzYDQGt3r87RauEMaq-WyAbvlr6SeqROozzh4JOItMA-JyFv8/s200/Choioffice.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463390591419161986" /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#341b00;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The prevalence of strong perfumes has sparked a backlash. Many doctors have posted signs asking people to be considerate of others and not wear scent. There are even medical procedures, such as embryo transfers where patients are asked not to use scented soaps or body washes as the odor molecules can interfere with the early stages of embryo development and cause potential chromosomal damage during transfer from petri dish to an expectant mother’s womb. Recently, the city of Detroit created <a href="http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100421/LIVING/4210358/1032/Perfume--What-s-scintillating-to-some-can-be-debilitating-to-others">fragrance-free zones</a> in its city buildings after one of it’s employees claimed a co-worker’s perfume caused breathing problems and was awarded $100,000 by the U.S. District Court under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Finally, there are anti-fragrance campaigns that seek to ban perfumes and other synthetic smells altogether from public places.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#341b00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#341b00;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Indeed, perfumes have become so ubiquitous that they can be found in just about everything we use. A sample inventory of scented personal care products will include: shampoos, conditioners, hair creams, gels, sprays, soaps, body washes, treatment scrubs, face cream, cleansers, toners, body lotions, eye creams, hand creams, foot creams, cuticle removers, hair removers, shaving creams, underarm deodorants, full body deodorants, perfumes, colognes, after shaves, soothing balms, toothpastes, mouthwashes and even dental floss. Almost every personal care product we use has some form of (usually synthetic) scent or flavoring. Our cleaning products are also heavily perfumed. They include household cleaners, deodorizers, scent neutralizers, detergents, solvents, and conditioners that add up to a relentless battery of smells that can not only assault the senses but can also lead to chemical sensitivities.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#341b00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#341b00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">And as if that weren’t enough, there are architects and perfumers (Christophe Laudamiel) who are enamored with the idea of environmental smells that go beyond room fresheners or deodorizers. They seek to create scent environments and even an <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124277733367437141.html">opera</a>! In a recent one-day symposium held at the Parsons School of Design architects and perfumers gathered to discuss how scent could become the new territory for design. “Scent is a tool for architects and designers that should be exploited more,” quoted Paola Antonelli, the organizer for <a href="http://www.headspace2010.com/">HEADSPACE 2010</a>.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#341b00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><img style="text-align: justify;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 200px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYw_KnZ0ZI7LDyvJgWuJNwGI0TFOn-EnCYkfdf83A9FaV9kXc_2QE_CjPUw1cFRbENFypiHJcSuCAdCj0lSgZE8GBVRFLaUyZfUNmbvpUvVNphOjvUqpBdHqNYdS1LlOwggfstLEgqI4g/s200/munch.scream.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463387042458009714" /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#341b00;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">While it is interesting to conceptualize how scent can become a more proactive participant in the built environment, it’s worthy to note that contemporary perfumes have already exploited the most public domain of our cultural milieu, that of advertising our sexuality. Wearers have become olfactory billboards for perfumers where each is trying to scream over the din of the others below. These perfume screams have gotten so loud that perfumers themselves are reacting by marketing the “anti-perfume” popularized by Rei Kawakubo of Commes des Garcons or the “non-perfume” such as LolaVie, Jennifer Anniston’s soon to be launched perfume.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#341b00;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#341b00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 161px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRiGvNm3Xd5Dbo7oVa7c_T3G-hGeBKJaLqOS5doMwe5qA2lsK9L8aQOoedtungpc3UqJ_PpkimmKuxHlGERt_-R7mptUs0ZzqntpdaM78QeKnInZFJJF-xkO_TohIbec0tIRpt0PPUZk/s200/venus_to.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463393962948268322" />What has all this done to the private realm of scent; the mysterious aura of the individual, the carnal knowledge of the nose? For one, it has reversed our notions of public and private so that the smells of the bedroom can now be found in the boardroom (and everywhere else). We have become unconditional participants in the erogenous lives of others. Ironically, by thrusting out the scent of the individual and saturating the environment with aroma chemicals each of us has lost the breathing room of the self we once enjoyed. We’ve lost the room to explore our own odors, the odors of others and the smells of the natural world. In many ways I believe this is in response to the sensory deprivation that has become endemic to modern living. We use smell to recreate a world that doesn’t really exist. Perfume has become a substitute for living in the natural world where our senses were stimulated by the odors of our own bodies and our surroundings. Throughout history scent has been used to mask putrid odors, but our culture seems to be waging a war against natural smells. We wear our perfumes like armored vehicles, intent upon protecting ourselves from the terrain of natural smells.</span></span></p><p color="#341b00" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#341b00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"></span><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidhNoYMbpMoHCtJzD2F5YojDanXDp3-eQGVofx105qfx3nFWluUoQyVCnh-2gEQ36-qzQexOiBlrL2X-WYfCq9DcQqtd1kYHqBTgKaKCJz5xMoSuJXPmIJ1TRmgvKsRtk3H0qciUTZ1w/s200/bazaar2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463399797183849458" /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; color:#341b00;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I grew up in Iran where strong smells were inescapable: infrequently washed bodies, breath pungeant with raw onion and bazaar floors wet with animal feces, blood and urine. By contrast, there was the smell of fruit: peaches, cucumbers, melons and flowers like roses, jasmine and orange blossoms that were intensified by the arid climate. The sme<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(52, 27, 0); ">ll of dust settling as gardens were watered in the evening and the occasional plastic-sweet plume of opium wafting over brick walls. I don’t remember the smell of detergents, cleansers, shampoos and creams. In fact, the only artificial smells I recall came from the occasional American product that seemed wildly exotic at the time: watermelon lip gloss, strawberry shampoo and Love’s Baby Soft. Otherwise, my world was defined by everyday things: the pages of a fresh notebook, fountain pen ink and pencil wood. Perhaps this helped develop a more subtle and sensitive nose that despite the strong smells of the city, did not feel the urgency to mask or perfume them.</span></span></span></span></p> <p color="#341b00" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p color="#341b00" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">By constantly having synthetically perfumed products around us we may be overloading our sense of smell to such an extent that it might lead us towards olfactory breakdown. Who really knows what all of these aroma chemicals are capable of doing to our odor receptors. They do cause temporary olfactory fatigue so that we are no longer able to smell the more subtle aromas around us. Now that aromachemicals can be found in countless products the world just doesn’t seem to smell as good as it once did, at least not to me.</span></span></span></p><p color="#341b00" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; "><br /></p><p color="#341b00" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; ">(Part 2 of this article will examine the Public and Private Realm of Natural Perfumes)</p><p color="#341b00" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Arial; "><br /></p></span><p></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;color:#333333;"><p></p></span><p></p><p></p>Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-40803272000265141102009-02-07T20:13:00.000-08:002010-04-23T12:21:20.378-07:00Process versus Product<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial, serif;">A question came up recently about the discussion of perfume as a process rather than as a finished product. The consensus was that as perfumers, it was more relevant to talk about process than about the finished product. Some felt that a finished perfume did not need further discussion, unless one was to critique a scent. Others pointed out that many perfumers never felt finished with their work; they were constantly tweaking and experimenting with their perfumes even after they had been completed. This got me thinking about the issue of product versus process in the creation of perfume as well as in that of architecture. I wondered how the two disciplines could engage in a dialogue about this issue and how each could inform the other.</span></div><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><br /></span></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 151px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40CU3BYfEQIImNEC8VdrLjjm1nekFRVT0FGGuUn8m7a-8jje8rh_KkrWkcKM1q9UNpprY-r9zKICTvAIBY7hkOF9YmplJfKPq6DaqFTZqLQE0zlOMxF49TlzZQP8QpYiuwn0MwCmYO34/s200/300px-Colden_Mansion_engraving.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463411265353490082" /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial, serif;">While a building could be considered a finished product, it is, in fact a constantly evolving “work in progress”, one that begins with a concept that is developed through a complex design process. The result is a set of drawings (a simulacrum) that describe the building analytically as a three dimensional entity. During construction further changes take place that form a part of this dynamic process. After a building is inhabited, it comes to life and is transformed by its inhabitants (Colden Mansion in 1859). Finally, after a building has been abandoned, it changes further as it decays. The life-cycle of a building is characterized by entropy. (Colden Mansion today)</span></div><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1uYgqkYC6Oce-XW4b4FxonJYo6JLCRa92xOk1kqgeEWQnoj6mdx66_Cs2sZfA72-oW-F4m8oHsxV1jZtxv7aG5a3PuAMNCiZo4c0JMkPBtOMB8F5vbIvW6w1WbQOX736ihOsLqUkBZQ/s200/P1010021.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463410099560423682" />If a building can be viewed as a dynamic entity that is constantly changing, can we ever view it as a product? At the inception of a project a conceptual design is presented for approval before the design of a building is developed any further. These schematic design packages necessitate hours of preparation to form a coherent “product”. Fast forward to when a building has been completed and in the pages of a magazine. The photographs that are taken are generally of spaces that have been styled to create an ideal image. Rarely does one see a photograph of a space that has been taken spontaneously. Furthermore, these photographs are selected for their composition, color and other formal elements.<br /><br />Architects work towards a constantly evolving product through process. There are some, who are engaged and stimulated by the process of design, and certainly there are design tools (imaging software) that allow a conceptual design to appear as real as an actual structure, but in general, the work of architecture tends to center around the production of the object. Process is a means to an end, not an end in and of itself.</span></span></div><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1b8qMjt_kI4AzebkJozyjzTZ21ZOFhHnA0ufVRJw3cj3VfsJxpvOhHj_bATEWe68yjzdAfDB4_qs-kpc-HBSTUcQ4T6Zkl7jn2mfjWY2MjSyPhcW9jfnN6v-oEAfYnPMHEVJPlcKX_8Y/s200/P1010023.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463414745645598002" /></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Perfumery is similar to architecture in that an idea or concept generates the process of creation and it takes months, sometime years to develop a perfume. The difference is that while a building is designed through representation, the design of a perfume is done using the materials that actually make up the perfume itself. Process is product in perfumery. Perhaps that is why perfumers prefer to talk about making their perfumes. The process of creation is the creation itself. While the architectural object is dynamic and changeable, the object of perfumery – a finished perfume - is static. That which is dynamic in perfumery is its creation. This is not to be confused with the dynamic nature of a perfume once it is applied and the rates of dry down that create layers of changing scent. The static nature of a completed perfume has to do with the immutability of the finished blend, not a drop more being added or subtracted, it is balanced and still.</span></span></div>Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189976689349815701.post-2682416523187006822009-01-18T05:35:00.000-08:002010-04-23T13:35:50.159-07:00Space Time and Perfume<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTygPZtDQCO7uuvh_PY0En2QlU-7eluoxuHmbpAWFT5kL3g8Z2b2C021B8_F7RbvsxfmSD1KZZKyUmRwfP4YQ7htwPyA4IWYV2qjFsRY4tYkwudaoFdMQdTE0R_t8oCLYBvl2mDU0yGY/s1600/giedion_space_time_1943.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 138px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTygPZtDQCO7uuvh_PY0En2QlU-7eluoxuHmbpAWFT5kL3g8Z2b2C021B8_F7RbvsxfmSD1KZZKyUmRwfP4YQ7htwPyA4IWYV2qjFsRY4tYkwudaoFdMQdTE0R_t8oCLYBvl2mDU0yGY/s200/giedion_space_time_1943.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463423767547267858" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Modern architectural theory was first established by a few seminal texts which included Siegfried Giedion’s </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Space, Time and Architecture</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> published in 1941. In it he outlined concepts that formed the foundation of a new aesthetic that broke away from the architecture of the Beaux Arts tradition. He argued that abstract notions of space and time were paradigms of this new design. These revolutionary concepts have now become intrinsic to our knowledge of contemporary architecture. Today, we take for granted the notion that we experience space in time. Although we perceive space visually, we actually scan with our eyes and build composites from snapshots of our memory.</span></span></div><div align="justify"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br />So how do we experience perfume? There are strong parallels between how we experience the visible world of the built environment and the invisible construct of our aromatic surround. As a perfumer, one has to be aware of this non-visible world and its potential to impact our spatial understanding in subtle but direct ways.</span></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br />Aromas are experienced in time creating scent memories that help us remember and orient ourselves in space. When we step into a room we are first guided by our visual and auditory senses. But what about our olfactory impressions? When we transition from one space to another we become aware of odors. These odors help our brain differentiate between safety and danger. If we “smell danger”, our brain prevents us from going any further. However, if a smell is benign, our brain permits us to enter, which is why the inviting smell of baking cookies is so important if you want to sell your home.</span></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeuwLjb5tgIzn7lxsfNku52eEyX1D9UCSj74nAZWnh5lTcH9dA1RUV3jmeXReq6w9UdWZ3pRZSQ75hyphenhyphenuFtF73UI8tn5qlBUoHbTHaS9pLIQhf9rvP7NySN6TzxNBBNUHe99XPD-j5lKk/s200/a_nose.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463433901508373618" /><div align="justify"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Once our initial impression of a space is determined our noses go into “sleep” mode and we are no longer aware of further environmental odors. This anosmia is one of the most baffling phenomenae of our olfactory sense. Why does the nose shut down? Why aren’t we always in a state of smell awareness? The area of the nose that contains odor receptors is directly adjacent to the brain. Through each inhalation we are literally drawing molecules of our immediate environment practically into our brains. Perhaps a likely answer is that our brains are not equipped to handle scent 24/7. We need to preserve that function so that we can detect danger when it is truly necessary. Perhaps our brains evolved to be more visually aware and our olfactory sense ended up taking a back seat.</span></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br />There is no doubt, however, that there is a relationship between scent and memory. Scientific studies have shown that scent memory is 60% accurate while visual memory is accurate only 15% of the time. Our visual memory is highly susceptible to interpretation while our olfactive memory tends to be more precise and “objective”. So why don’t we rely more on our noses? Perhaps this anosmia makes the nose ultimately less reliant than the eyes, or perhaps our ability to remember scent makes us less likely to constantly have to smell them.</span></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 158px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhChYIj2xpE-zYZ7b3B5Q6ytrz2Ic-vnefST8CXQBETNizlVNmD3MvEkACChMu93pXN2uF50TAOx_DvCpcZFIo0fDhwojQgbwZ712Io5T18V6qg_Zo8cdDCYUTJg-c2ABBPkejnmbc6hmc/s200/6041-rose-felicite-perpetue.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463426901103908994" /></span></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">These questions often surface when I’m working on a perfume. Scents can anchor memories of people, places and events or can prod the imagination. What interests me as a perfumer is how the imagination can be evoked, invoked or even provoked. Essences are the material building blocks of a perfume and each has individual qualities that are complex and layered. Many essences also have strong historical and cultural associations, like the rose. However, these essences can also be viewed as abstract elements. The rose, for example, has simultaneous qualities of luminosity and darkness. Instead of viewing it in the traditional sense as a “floral”, it can be used to lighten or darken a blend, depending on how it is combined with other essences.</span></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 98px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHJrY1WcsHUay3mbjEIuSfbn_ndbLiqKSd_1Mgh8lYfoqBESin8AcIctM1L7azRpqhnjdoIrDLjnMqfCzs1l7PO2NgmhKgWyqbeE6tduLDqMejE039RzwLCACyipbICOZx6W8HLUR9Tc/s200/800px-Glasshouse-philip-johnson.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463428516440144642" /><div align="justify"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">It is analogous to the use glazing in architecture. A window can be viewed as a functional element for light and ventilation, as a decorative or compositional element in a façade or as an abstract element such as a curtain wall. The latter use of glass in modern architecture allowed us to view glazing as a means of creating an effect, one of lightness and openness in a building. The Glass House by Philip Johnson (left) is a great example of how curtain wall construction can form transparent walls that allow the structure to become a part of nature. Essences can also create effects of transparency, luminosity, porosity or conversely effects of darkness, chiaroscuro and solidity.</span></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 139px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvKu9iTQHRlnwxZCEAi9Z7bxka2HVPM9NyVEtIu0pe_PxHMvbKs4LmQxDXqD5Tstx-DAX3wp4yz5lYO1eU6skuk7Zp7f1b7tqOk9BD4UOj-2mbeCnuztkgk5VJ8Y_z9ZudAxewgIppvw/s200/170px-Magic_Sankt_Petersburg_-_Puschkin_-_Katharinen_Palast_7.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463425412741292946" />For me, the challenge of perfumery is to create blends that bring us into the architecture of our minds where we can experience space in its purest abstraction. One should be able to enter a perfume and explore its arrangement and structure, experience its effects. Natural perfumes evolve over time; as top notes evanesce, other layers are revealed and unfolded. This unfolding is like walking from one room to another where rooms are connected but have different qualities. Architecture deals with the external structuring of space while perfumes evoke an inner construct. This is where perfume and architecture share a common ground, as a means of experiencing space in time.</span></span></span></div>Maggie Mahboubianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14235295671074857021noreply@blogger.com3