As ever, the lead up to a Perfume as Practice solo show requires a descriptive painting which explains visually the concepts and contexts found within the scented experience. My next show – at Bureau, Centre for the Arts in April – will place perfumery within the a religious frame. As such, I present to you this work in progress:
The reason for choosing a religious context is twofold. Firstly it acts as a response to Bureau’s art space, which was formerly a church. But more pertinently, it will enable me to use the narratives found within religion as a symbolic means of categorising the perfume portraits I make, so that they may form connections with each other.
For those not in the know, my perfume portraits are created using an established method that begins by asking artists why they make art, then interpreting the response received in order to arrive at a fragrance that captures the essence of who they are. Often, I find that similarities emerge between artists’ responses. These similarities reveal the factors that drive creative action, and these factors can then be categorised and curated in order to highlight the different forces that initiate creativity and how connections can be established between artists.
So, regrading my next solo show which will house religious contexts, I will use Saints as a method of meaningfully symbolising different creative behaviours, desires and motivations found within each perfume portrait. Four saints will be used in total, and will symbolise instinct; communication; healing; and learning. These are all factors found within my perfume portraits, and all drive creativity.
If that all sounded a little too complicated, it’s probably best to just experience the exhibition for yourself! It will be on from 12-26th April. Not long now!
