Perfumers Gone Wild
April 29 to May 29, 2021
Perfumers Gone Wild, an exhibition of experimental perfumery by seven scent creators, will be presented from April 29 to May 22, 2021 at Olfactory Art Keller.
Perfumers Gone Wild explores what happens when perfumers are not constraint by the limitations of perfumery. For this exhibition of olfactory art, seven perfumers at different stages of their careers dared to step out of their comfort zone to create scents without a brief, and without having to consider the technical requirements and economic considerations that usually come with developing a perfume. The artists have channeled a lifetime of experiences and memories through the materials they have become familiar with during their perfumery practice. The pieces they created are not perfumes, but pieces of olfactory art, intended to be experienced, analyzed, explored and shared as objects of aesthetic appreciation.
The scents that can be explored at Perfumers Gone Wild reveal their creators' intuitions, mastery and folly. They range from the lightness of an olfactory whisper (Caring Whisper) to a bold attempt of using the ephemeral art of scent creating to approximate Richard Serra's large steel sculptures (16 Ton). Other works revel in the contrasts that artists can force into harmony within a single scent: vicious tigers and elegant flowers (Tiger Tuberose), or white sand and clear blue water (Alger la Blanche). All the works in Perfumers Gone Wild have been created in New York during the ongoing pandemic and respond to it by evoking memories of an intimate embrace (Your Embrace), the calming effect of a higher power (Sinner) or allowing the viewer to bounce back and forth between hope and hopelessness (Hope/less).
Meabh McCurtin, Christina Christie, Mackenzie Reilly, Yves Cassar, Carlos Benaim, Pascal Gaurin, and Chiaki Nomura have created unique scents to ignite curiosity, desire, love and nostalgia. Olfactory Art Keller, in collaboration with International Flavors & Fragrances, invites you to explore their art with an open nose, heart and mind.
Half the proceeds of Perfumers Gone Wild will be donated to Send Chinatown Love, an organization that helps Asian-owned businesses in Chinatown affected by the pandemic, racist rhetoric and violence.
Chiaki Nomura Hope/less (two aluminum bottles with 100 mL of scent each)
Chiaki Nomura’s Hope/less presents a philosophical and emotional approach to this time of conflict and crisis. It balances the darkness with hope and strength. We as humans carry an ever-changing balance of hopefulness and hopelessness within us. The line between the two emotions is blurry and unclear and can even disappear completely. Hope/less consists of two scents, Hope and Hopeless that were created to be used both individually and layered or even as a mixture.
Christina Christie Sinner (aluminum bottle with 100 mL of scent (Olibanum, Vanilla Bean Extract CO2, Peru Balsam oil, Oakwood CO2, Cedarwood heart Virginia, Leatherwood, Sandalwood oil New Caledonia, Myrrh, Jasmin absolute, Orris absolute))
During turbulent times, we seek serenity and balance, which many find in a higher power. Christina Christie’s Sinner is inspired by the use of resins and incense in religious rituals throughout human history. Its notes have been chosen deliberately to have a calming, restorative effect.
Yves Cassar Alger la Blanche (aluminum bottle with 100 mL of scent (Neroli Tunisia, Orange Flower Absolute Tunisia, Petitgrain Bigarade Tunisia, Cedarwood oil Morocco, Ambergris, Sea Breeze))
Few things are as meditative, restorative and invigorating as the coast. Yves Cassar’s Alger la Blanche is inspired by the white coast of Algiers and the Mediterranean Sea. The stark contrast of the white sand and the clear blue waters is striking and powerful, yet provides clarity and depth to the soul.
Meabh McCurtin Your Embrace (aluminum bottles with 100 mL scent each (Angelica seed oil, Ambrette absolute, Sichuan Pepper CO2, Sandalwood oil New Caledonia, Cumin seed oil, Musk, Tuberose))
Meabh McCurtin’s Your Embrace is inspired by the smell of an intimate embrace, something that is even more precious now during this time of social distancing and lack of human contact during the ongoing pandemic.
Mackenzie Reilly Tiger Tuberose (aluminum bottle with 100 mL of scent (Tuberose abs India, Ylang Ylang oil, Beeswax abs, Spices, Patchouli oil Indonesia, Castoreum, Civet, (synthetic, not of animal origin)))
Mackenzie Reilly’s Tiger Tuberose is meant to embody one of nature’s most powerful creatures mindfully decorated with the elegance of a flower crown. The fragrance combines a heady floral accord with an animalic-resinous base to evoke the carnal sensuality of the tiger.
Carlos Benaim 16 Ton (aluminum bottle with 100 mL of scent (Amber Xtreme, Ambermor Ketal, Vetiver, Cinnamon essential, Rose Isparta Low Methyleugenol))
Carlos Benaim’s 16 Ton is a scent inspired by the large steel sculptures of Richard Serra. It is as bold, robust and rich as earth’s minerals and materials. 16 Ton stacks the heaviest molecules from IFF’s collection on top of each other and combines them with the longest-lasting natural from the palette. A rusty patina of cinnamon and rose is added to the surface.
Pascal Gaurin Caring Whisper (aluminum bottle with 100 mL of scent (Cedarwood heart Virginia, Jasmin Sambac abs, Ambrette Seed abs, Bergamot oil, Sandalwood oil New Caledonia, Olibanum oil, Pink Pepper CO2, Orris concrete, Opalene))