Les Tuileries

You Cannot Be Serious, Monsieur Polge!

2011-06-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

Of all the archaic universal truth within the fragrance industry the infallibility of a creative director is perhaps the most baffling. What puts forth by a supposed master, no matter how incorrect the information may be, has to be beyond reproach. Thus with the brand equity of a company at stake such respect only only seems fair: with millions and millions of dollars or euros at stake an authorized coverage cannot be wrong, no? Except it often does, and yet the cosmetic industry is only too happy to carry on its own merry ways.

Mind you, I am not talking about the imcompetencies of poor journalists who are often assisgned to a profile without the technical know-how to begin the coverage. Sometimes jounalistic inaccuracies do take place. But when seemingly common knowledge gets overlooked in favor of the grander waxing lyrical that's when self-promotion gets sincerely irksome.

Enter Chanel's master perfumer Jacques Polge and the deputy perfumer Christopher Sheldrake and their latest effort in promoting the up-coming Chanel No. 19 Poudre:

"Yes, the iris flower is beautiful," says Christopher Sheldrake, perfumer and director of research and development for the same, grand French name, and today Polge's accomplice in the creation of scents divine. "But with the root, we're definitely in the potato category." And this, on the face of it, does not have quite the same romantic connotations. Appearances can be deceptive, however, because the iris flower is, in fact, odourless. "Yes, even I cannot smell it," says Polge in heavily French-accented tones. Instead, the scent comes from the rhizome, which, through a painstaking process is transformed into iris butter, which is among the most rare and precious ingredients in perfumery. "The flower doesn't smell at all," Sheldrake confirms, "but the root doesn't smell floral either. It's a very rich, creamy, powdery smell."

The commercial lyricism? Fantastic. The intricate eloquence? Seamless. The requisite fact checking with the statement above? Non-existant.

The iris flower is odourless? Fiction. Many varieties of common iris flowers are actually quite scented. In fact one doesn't have to look very far in the perfumers' exploration of the iris flower but the 2007 Perfumer & Flavorist magazine. In "Identification of Iris Scent Volatiles Using Dynamic Headspace with PDMS Foam Trapping and GC-TOFMS", Ray Marsili and Cesar Kenaan have actually described the scent of the bearded iris as an "unusually strong, pleasant fragrance", comparable to a "caramel, spicy, vanilla with citrus nuances". In fact, a chemical profile of fragrant bearded iris is published along the rest of the article. The study can be retrieved for free by anyone with an enlightened knowledge of Google; apparently Chanel has not bothered with it.

As for the part on orris--describing the root not smelling floral--is to me also misleading. Yes, the fresh root has a very earthy scent, but a proper rendering produces an essence reminiscent of violets covered with chalk dust. Most ravishing upon introducing the element as an elegant restraint while rebalancing the floral-woodsy facets. I thought all this is common knowledge in perfumery.

Could the statement be an honest mistake? Perhaps. But after several observations (here and here) I am less optimistic than most. Too much has been said with the intention of being accepted at face value.

So what more can I say? You cannot be serious, Monsieur Polge!

["One green bottle: Meet the brains – and noses – behind Chanel No 19" from The Independent]

P.S. Don't know why but I suddenly feel that my earlier perfumery satire seems only fitting.

Of Iris and Ukiyo-e: Thoughts on the Ideas Associated with the New Hermessence

2010-09-22T18:36:00.001-07:00

Has it been such a long adieu since we last conversed? Seems as if the de rigueur of working hard for one's life has a way of segregating your truly's time from blogging, but once again my fellow writer Helg has a way of pulling me back into the thick of things. I'm referring to, of course, the recent news that the next Hermessence shall be called Iris Ukiyoe. Not surprising, perhaps, to the readers of this blog that Ellena has been working on an iris fragrance (as reported here). But there's more to this tale than what meets the eyes...

While the notion of linking iris with Edo-period Japanese art might be a far fetch tangible threads exist between the two. Water iris (Iris laevigata), though itself does not produce the costly perfumery essence, has long been thriving and treasured as symbols of elegance for millenia in the land of the rising sun, famously appearing in classic texts such as The Tales of Ise and The Tale of Genji. The entry in the former literature is especially famous in Japan, as the protegonist, travelling along the famous iris marshes of the ancient Mikawa province, uses the five Japanese syllables found within the name of water iris (ka-ki-tsu-ha-ta) as the beginning of each line for his poem that articulates the longing for his far-away wife:

から衣きつゝなれにしつましあればはるばるきぬるたびをしぞ思

Karagoromo / kitsutsu narenishi / tsuma shi areba / harubaru kinuru / tabi o shi zo omou

I have a beloved wife / familiar as the skirt / of a well-worn robe / and so this distant journeying / fills my heart with grief*

Similar appreciation can also be found in masterpieces such as the famous gilded screens (c. 1705) by the fabled painter Ogata Korin (尾形光琳, 1658 - June 2, 1716), later commemorated at the back of the 5000 denomination of the Japanese yen. (Perhaps then it is not surprising that iris has long been adopted as a family crest.) The iris ukiyo-e above by the great Hokusai is simply a re-affirmation for the nation's passion for the flora.

So why ukiyo-e among the sea of Japanese treasures devoted to iris? While there's no room for speculation (I dare not getting into Ellena's head) I believe the easy accessibility of the wood-cutting genre during the time of increasing westernization during the Edo era proves to be the key. Ukiyo-e, aiming to depict the transient gloss of everyday life, has a slightly dream-like quality in its delicate yet vibrant use of colours, coinciding with Europe's dream of the orient during the 18th and the 19th century. Perhaps no French artists have been more indebted to ukiyo-e than Debussy, as his famous works Estampes (1903), La Mer (1905) and his two sets of Images (1905 & 1907 respectively) all reflects the diffusive tonality and intricacy of the Asian art form; La Mer, Debussy's closest experimentation to a full-scale symphony, even included a re-interpretation of the famous "The Great Wave of Kanaga" (originally by Hokusai) on the cover of its first edition.

So what does the musing boils down to? To me the jury is still out on how Ellena will exactly gather the various aesthetics assicated with the ideas, be it the perfumery aspect of iris or the transient quality of ukiyo-e. Of course, we know that Ellena shall render iris in an abstract approach via cocoa, as the master perfumer mentioned months ago. Still I should point out that Jean-Claude's affinity to the clean Japanese aesthetics isn't accidental but more of his perception of Hermès: during his interview process Ellena pointed out that the venable brand, to him, is a combination of Mediterranean generosity and Japanese clarity. Thus to me Iris Ukiyoe, the latest Hermessence offering, is going to be a continual exploration of such philosophy. But perhaps how such idea shall be further articulated is more of a point of interest, and we shall find out where the olfactory equilibirum lies soon enough comes this November.

Photo: 《杜若ときりぎりす》 (Water Iris and Grasshopper) by Hokusai
Video: "Pagodes" by Claude Debussy, performed by Claudio Arrau
* Translation by Helen McCullough

Playlist of the Moment: Canadian

2010-06-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

I'm here to post my current playlist: incidentally the music is all Canadian.

We all have moments in our lives when sidestepping simply isn't an option anymore: Ontario singer-songwriter Matthew Barber's "Settle My Accounts" could very well be that hymn of everyday triumph.

Can't exactly put my fingers on it but Howie Beck's music has a sort of hypnotic melancholy, this time backed with a crisp urban edge that makes the single from the critically acclaimed fourth full-length album "How to Fall Down in Public" all that more appealing.

Michael Ondaatje is a self-prefessed country music aficionado and The English Patient writer has backed up his passion by pursing a new venture as a lyricist with Justin Rutledge for the singer-songwriter's latest album The Early Widows. The result? Love the latest single "Be a Man".

Enjoy!

What Grinds My Gears!

2010-04-18T22:07:00.001-07:00

Nothing glowingly positive, unfortunately. (In terms of lacking in creativity even Chanel is not above reproach, especially given the release of Chance Eau Tendre.) I honestly would feel much, much better if the e-cards above are deemed as doodles from a mad man. Sigh.

Text by AlbertCAN and designs by someecards.com

Harping Back the Poetic: Top 5 Spring Scents

2010-04-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

Of all the seasons Les Tuileries has traversed spring is perhaps the least dabbled of the temporal graces. While fall and winter have their fair share of scribbles any astute reader of this publication will deduce a lack of sentiment devoted to the oft-praised harbinger of hope. Indeed, I bear no sentimental illusion to the earthly rejuvenation, which may have served me well in hindsight since yours truly has participated in some of the sanest break-ups during this time of year. Besides, who shall have the leisure to wax lyrical to the fair-er season upon realizing the flip side of such time* equally has a knack of wrecking the facile air typically granted to this time of the year?

Yet what is life if hope stops springing eternal? Namely, what joy ceases of exist if the crisp spring air is not tangled with a whiff of aromatic nuisance? Thus a preamble to scents that, well, fancies a spring-minded spirit is in order.

To me spring is incomplete without the curling blooms of Dutch hyacinths, oozing with their unapologetically intoxicating redolence. Perhaps such sentiment is linked to one of my most complicated childhood memories associated with spring? At the tender age of four the first ever dream job I've declared was being a horticulturalist (much to the horror of my parents).** I'll never forget my mother's ruby-drenched face as she half-jokingly explained the implication of unprofitably (and the implication to my surely starving future wife). Acquiring the requisite real-estate, for one, is a terribly expensive proposition in my birth land. Thus years later, upon having emigrated to Canada--and having adequate space in order to be a proper green thumb--I did not hesitate to finally raising flora via sustainable means, as then was the early era of modern organic agriculture. Having only given a tiny, sun-averse lot and a non-existent budget to indulge in the fall of 1992 I quickly settled on a ménage of Dutch hyacinths, low-maintenance frills that could surely reward me in the spring. And rewarded me handsomely they did upon the subsequent spring, bursting with a sophisticated confetti of multi-sensory delights. I would never forget the day I proudly carried my aromatic trophies home and the predictably chilly reaction from my disapproving parents. ("You suck the life of the blooms once they are cut" was my father's first reaction.) Thus while many have their lily of the valley to contend with I consider Gucci Envy (1997), Maurice Roucel's post-modern ode to hyacinth, the quintessence of spring. Of course, my clumsy childhood experimentation pales in comparison to Monsieur Roucel's eloquence, as the Tom Ford artistic direction wittingly smooths out the brassy, earth-laden aroma of the original and ever so cleverly emphasizes the plant's verdant edge, giving the scent a sleek urban vibe, as if the bouquet has been nurtured in a ultra-pristine solarium, perched on the Manhattan Upper East Side skyline. Contrary to public opinion I do not find fault in its mainstream distribution; in fact the eau de parfum is a bit of a rare find these days: I only acquired that edition once, giving it straight away to a dear friend as her surprise post-secondary graduation present since the eau de toilette version has been her aromatic signature. Turned out the surprise was all mine: upon opening the present she couldn't recognize the decidedly different packaging of the eau de parfum; in fact she deduced the bottle was a fake until I reminded her that I don't acquire aromatic counterfeits. (A reverse practical joke that would amuse Guy de Maupassant, perhaps?)

Autobiographical palaver aside nothing heralds this spring like Jean-Claude Ellena's latest offering Voyage d'Hermès (2010). I don't think I can add much to Denyse Beaulieu's excellent review on this subject, and upon wearing this fragrance in the recent weeks I do find almost no fault in the scent. Sure, the scent is probably first conceived to be launched under Hermès' annual theme for last year ("Travel") and it's the epitome of Ellena abstraction, as his olfactory idioms over the years are instantly recognizable, complete even with slight lilts from Ellena's earlier proposé under the venerable house. Yet all that familiarity aside I do find that the fragrance lives up to its editorialship, as it intends not to evoke any particular worldly locale or time--a rarity on both counts in the perfumery business. And so appropriate for spring! Diaphanous yet tenacious, sophisticated yet laid-back, Voyage d'Hermès to me is a well-constructed, intelligently put together olfactory essai that serves both as a grand entry point or a reasonable retrospective of the master perfumer's art thus far. Mind you, I don't think people of opposing aesthetics will be converts, but isn't the freedom to be the cornerstone of Ellena's olfactory point of view? And on such note of free expression Voyage d'Hermès does actually remind me of a particular place: Maison Hermès, given its meticulous strive to modernity and the attention to humanism in the design--but such coherence needs to be encouraged, non?

If modernity is that all you seek Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle En Passant (2000) is yet another alternative. Now I have reviewed the fragrance earlier and shared my passion on lilac (the fragrance's principle dancer) so I shall wax lyrical no further. On the other hand (in risk of being thought of as a sentimentalist) I consider no spring pick can be complete without Serge Lutens Sa Majesté la Rose (2000). Yes, I know rose soliflore is a finicky category--and perfumer Sophia Grojsman's masterpieces of Paris d'Yves Saint Laurent (1984) and Trésor de Lancôme (1990) should receive honourable mentions in this category just for their sheer significance in perfumery history--but perfumer Christopher Sheldrake's creamy rosy creation is worthy of the ancient Roman's adoration of the celebrated bloom, most notably during their infamous orgies (one man even reportedly died from rose petal asphyxiation, surely one of the more curious ways to bid adieu to the world). Of course, Sheldrake's fame doesn't stem from a mere procurement of rose water or the mere modification of rosy chemicals such as damascones--the deceptively simple rose fragrance gradually morphs into a satisfyingly complex, unabashed celebration of the velvet bloom. Ultimately the ingenuity of Sa Majesté lies in its clever blending of Moroccan rose with facets of blue chamomile, geranium, lychee, clove, honey, vanilla and gaiac wood, thereby arranging a lush modern rose bouquet without veering off topic. No wonder it's listed as one of Luten's favorites within his realm.

During this time of the year, especially at the beginning of each spring, the time of the year which the conditions have a hard time making up its mind, to and fro until the chilly regression has its temper tantrums, I am partial to Guerlain Jicky (1889)--no, not the eau de toilette, but the parfum instead. While some have problem with its civet-laden trail I still find it within good social order compared to, say Yves Saint Laurent Kouros (1981), a masterpiece by Pierre Bourdon which I am neither virile nor handsome enough to pull off. I guess if it is any consolation former 007 Sean Connery is quite partial to Jicky, though I'm not sure if the Scot uses the parfum as a splash. On Guerlain's official website all but the 1 oz. edition are gone in terms of parfum, but I don't settle though, as simple and as complicated as that.

So there, my top 5 picks for this spring. In the spirit of inter-disciplinarily artistic nature of Les Tuileries I want to share with all what springs in my mind, a summation of the fragility and the strength behind my idea of spring. Yes, I am talking about my hero Franz Schubert's legendary question, the unfinished piano sonata in F-sharp minor (D. 571), a piece which the genius wrote at the tender age of 20 and never quite gotten around how to bring the ravishing beauty to a harmonic end. With this being said: could this be an appropriate footnote to the following famous quote by Rilke?

Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now.

Photo, from top: "Drops of Spring" by Steve took it; Voyage d'Hermès from Blog Beyond Beauty; Sa Majesté La Rose from Pere de Pierre; Guerlain Jicky from Fragrantica.com

Video: Schubert piano sonata in F sharp minor D 571 (possibly by András Schiff) via TheKarajan2006 @ YouTube

* No force wrecks the magic of spring so convincingly than seasonal allergies. Personal income tax preparation comes in close second.
** Lepidopterist was my next choice; eventually the noble profession of medicine was chosen: none of the above became my eventual trade.

For more spring picks please refer to the following blogs:

Perfume Shrine
Smelly Blog
Katie Puckrik Smells
The Non Blonde
I Smell Therefore I Am
Notes from the Ledge
Scent Hive
Savvy Thinker
Roxana's Illuminated Journal
Perfume in Progress
All I Am A Redhead
Ambre Gris
Olfactarama
A Rose Beyond the Thames

New Hermèssence to Debut Later This Year (What Has Been Revealed Thus Far)

2010-02-12T22:04:00.000-08:00

According to a Hermès representative a new addition to the Hermèssence collection shall debut toward the end of this year, although this time details of the upcoming release, including its name and the exact launch date, are closely guarded mysteries. As of this moment the Paris headquarters will not reveal the tale just yet, not even to its employees around the world.

End of the story? Not exactly. Here are some details to consider:

For decades now all Hermès launches will have to be within the premise of the brand's annual theme--this year it's "Tales to be Told". No doubt the theme fits Ellen'a eloquence perfectly.
According to November-December 09 edition of French magazine Psychologies Jean-Claude Ellena cultivates a black iris in his garden that smells of chocolate and intends to compose an iris fragrance in the future.
The latest Hermèssence will not likely be a fresh musky wood fragrance since Voyage d’Hermès will debut very, very soon and it shall be quite illogical to paraphrase the story twice within the same year. (Hermèssence fragrances, of course, are always versatile fragrances for either gender.)

The second clue is somewhat of an interesting one to consider. Hermès, of course, is not short of iris-infused fragrances, including Hiris, Kelly Calèche, Un Jardin en Méditerranée, Eau de Gentiane Blanche and Paprika Brasil--so if Ellena's interview from Psychologies is not a smoke screen that meant to conceal the theme of his latest project we might be interesting to see how the in-house nose shall play with iris this time around. Of course, knowing Ellena's thoughts on gourmand fragrances, especially after the release of Vanille Galante, a curve ball might lie straight ahead. Stay tuned.

Photo: berlin.unlike.net

Happy Holidays to You!

2009-12-24T22:45:00.000-08:00

Franz Biebl's Ave Maria has been floating in my head during this holiday season. So here, happy holidays for all of you out there.

And thanks for putting up with me when I am not particularily inspired to, well, muse on olfactory art. Or art in general. What can I say? The French probably has it down pat when coining the term un ange passe: the perfectionist within probably will protest that the pause is too typical and lengthy, the dialogue too unilateral. But I believe in the organicity of blogging, the need to express--and not merely selling an angle. So who knows? Maybe someday I'll tinkle the qwerty keyboard again.

YouTube Clip: "Ave Maria-Franz Biebl- Chanticleer", performed by Chanticleer and uploaded by nioka47

Yes, This is a True Story

2009-11-15T11:29:00.000-08:00

Pretty much what I said when I was in London, UK this September. Just went straight to Harrods' Serge Lutens section and asked for Iris Silver Mist--completely missed the Serge Lutens Paris boutique pilgrimage due to some awful directions merely days before that--and no, for the records Harrods wouldn't get ISM on behalf of anyone. So it's true, one cannot get "everything and anything" there.

Please don't get me wrong: I know ISM is a Paris Serge Lutens Paris boutique exclusive, and on-line ordering via the designer's official website can happen with the help of an European resident--merely an observation on, as I've said before, how not everything conveyed in the market is necessarily true just because it has been repeated over and over.

'Tis time like this a supportive long-distance partner who lives in Europe could come in handy, no? Someone who wouldn't (and frankly, shouldn't) consider the task of acquiring a Serge Lutens Paris exclusive and mail it to Canada an obligation under the law of reciprocity. Unfortunately none can be available in my case. Oh well, someday I will head back to Paris, armed with better directions.

(Or Serge Lutens can lessen the inconvenience by finally adding ISM to the export line. Now where's that on-line petition again? I think I have something to sign...)

Illustration by Someecards.com, text by AlbertCAN

I am Afraid This is Necessary

2009-08-21T01:01:00.000-07:00

Honestly, why do many professionals think that nobody will be able to tell when cheaper ingredients are used during reformulation?

Illustration by Someecards.com, text by AlbertCAN

Playlist of the Moment: Classical

2009-08-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

The 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition has just wrapped up several weeks ago in Fort Worth, Texas and Japanese concert pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, who is blind at birth, won the competition. (Tsuji shared the highest honours at the Van Cliburn with 19-year-old Zhang Haochen from China.) I should add that the Van Cliburn is one of the most prestigeous piano competitions; many consider it just as grand as the Leeds (held in Leeds, England), the Tchaikovsky (held in Moscow, Russia) and the Chopin (held in Warsaw, Poland). Anyhow, since seeing (and in this case, listening) is believing here are the requisite YouTube clips...

Preliminary Round: Selection from Chopin Twelve Etudes, Op.10

Preliminary Round: Liszt Paganini Etude No. 3 "La Campanella"

Preliminary Round: Selection from Images by Debussy, Book I

Semifinal Round: Beethoven Sonata in B-flat major, Op. 106, "Hammerklavier"

Final Recital: Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2

Final Recital: Chopin Berceuse, Op.57　

The competition actually ends with a customary concerto round but since his performance of Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 is too long for me to post in its entirety please Google the footage if you are interested. Anyhow, enjoy!

Clips uploaded by Balloon0429 and the Van Cliburn Foundation on YouTube

Nope, I am Dead Serious

2009-08-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

My decorum has prevented me from commenting on the specifics aside from raising this pertinent question. For information please refer to here.

Illustration by Someecards.com, text by AlbertCAN

Oh Yeah, I've Heard of This One (A Lot)

2009-08-19T19:58:00.001-07:00

In marketing it's formally called "extending product life cycle", "increasing market shares", or simply "prospecting target demographic". (I know the talk and it doesn't mean that I have gone to the dark side.) But after a while one starts to wonder when would it be the time to create fragrances for people who enjoy wearing, let alone smelling, scented products? Sigh.

Template by someecards and text by AlbertCAN

(All Joking Aside) I Do Have a Point

2009-08-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

Recently I stumbled upon a former acquaintance's travel blog and he, much to my horror, devoted one of his latest entries on how little can he offer the other person, who considers him as a boyfriend, aside from physical passion. I thought of sending him a stern message...but then I remember how we came to be former acquaintances. Besides, as I have said repeatedly on this blog: who am I to judge?

The incident nonetheless prompted me to think about my relationship with my life, how various elements have influenced me. And then it dawned on me...

As a fragrance writer I have a relationship with perfumery whether I like it or not.

No, I am not kidding: if one advocates going beyond instaneous consumerism then a rapport, regardless of the nature, has to be established between the object and the user. After all, if Coco Chanel advocates the elegance in refusal how else would one make a choice in a sea of scented concoctions? A choice, no matter how insignifigant, signifies favoring one relationship over another in this case--how else would one advocate limited resources? Something's gotta give no matter what.

Don't get me wrong...I am not substituting my scented relationship with the real thing, but what is our perfumery habit? What does that say about us? It is one of those issues which, as much as I would like to wax lyrical about, is best suited with on-going questions than with definitive answers.

Templates by Someecards.com and text by AlbertCAN

Bizarre Layering Challenge of the Day

2009-08-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

As if the smolderingly hot summer August air isn't suffice I am uncorking my oriental fragrances. I have long suspected that Serge Lutens Chergui develops along a similar path as Guerlain Shalimar (I have the parfum edition) so one plus one gives, not surprisingly, still one: Chergui seems to contributes to both ends of Shalimar, with the lime opening brightens the bergamot end of Shalimar while the Lutens amber base gives the Guerlain classic vanilla signature yet another dimension. Chergui's hay absolute hovers at the back, providing an interesting counterpoint to the blend's iris backbone. "Tis a very subtle improvement, mind you, but harmonious enough to make a difference upon closer inspection. A keeper.

Photo: Ossian's Dream by Ingres, via Lib-Art.com

Feel Free to Pick One (If You Must)

2009-08-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

I can't help but adding these two satires after having a discussion on perfumery misconceptions with Angela from Now Smell This. (For more info please refer to here.) The possibilities are endless but I suppose nobody needs to see infinite variations.

Template by Someecards.com with text by Angela and AlbertCAN

Humour Me for a Second, Please

2009-08-18T22:14:00.000-07:00

Heated debates need not apply here: this is merely a rhetorical question which I am all painfully aware of the answers. (And please: no more "innovation does not sell" or "creativity=strange" fallacies, which are as repetitive as the juices coming out these days.) Too disenchanted with contemporary perfumery to get into the specifics today so perhaps more later.

Note: Much to the horror of many fragrance aficionadi I actually consider Issey Miyake L'Eau d'Issey as the last ground-breaking fragrance. (For the specifics on how so please refer to "Perfume Legends: French Feminine Fragrances" by Michael Edwards.)

Template by Someecards.com and text by AlbertCAN

Playlist of the Moment: Alternative Folk Rock

2009-08-18T21:39:00.001-07:00

If there's a crime for neglecting one's blog yours truly is guilty as charged! But since I am not ready to talk about perfumery (just yet) here are what I have been listening from the folk rock music scene along with my clumsy intros to boot.

Seattle-based independent folk-rock act Fleet Foxes is making all the right moves and it's not hard to see why: critics and fans alike praise the refined lyrics and vocal harmonies in songs like "Blue Ridge Mountains", which the band performs here live at Letterman. Hmm, maybe the band formally known as "Pineapple" (which they dropped due to another band sharing the name) will get even better? One scary thought.

Best sign of a true artist: sounding ever better live with minimal accompaniment. Here 2008 Polaris Music Prize finalist Basia Bulat performs "Snakes and Ladders" with just a guitar and hits all the right notes. I finally saw her live a few weeks ago and she just had a great stage presence. She was also one of the nicest person I've met in a while (I got her autographs--twice). Talent and personality: now that's a fantastic combo.

First heard of the following song from the season finale of "How I Met Your Mother" and now I am hooked to AC Newman's "Prophet" ad nauseum. That's one rare instance which I don't mind being influenced by the mainstream media.

A sneak sample of the Great Lake Swimmers' immense talent for transforming complex material into breaths of pure lyricism. Believe it or not lead singer Tony Dekker sounds even better in person: heard this song at the 2009 Vancouver Folk Festival (YouTube footage not from the festival) and he just gave everyone goosebumps with the intricately resonant timbre of his voice. Neil Young would be mighty proud of this up-and-coming Canadian act.

Oh, one more before I dash off! Great Lake Swimmers' "Various Stages" is in high rotation on my iPod right now. Behold the group's great ability to tell such a complex story: any psychologist will surely get a kick out of the lyrics with words such as "How high your highest of heights? How low are your lows?" Needless to say the song was a hit at this year's Vancouver Folk Music Festival. Enjoy!

Clips courtesy of YouTube

A Quick Public Service Announcement

2009-08-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

As some of you might know this summer I have been developing a modern art blog called (surprisingly enough) The Modernism Within. Since having one active blog is better than two inactive ones (no prize for correcting guessing how attentive I have been when it comes to blogging in the purest sense) I am reposting the relevant articles below and retiring the modern art blog. Oh, almost forgot: I like the template for the other blog so much that I am borrowing that one for Les Tuileries. (My only consolation is that self plagerization is not a crime: at least not yet!) Here, that's the quick public service announcement for the day.

Card template by Someecards.com and text by AlbertCAN

Art History Excursion: Why Bauhaus is Not in My House (On What is Better Than Perfection)

2009-08-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

We are communal histories, communal books. We are not owned or monogamous is our taste or experience. All I desired was to walk upon such an earth that had no maps. (Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient)

A week ago yours truly was asked to hypothesize why Bauhaus has been imitated by IKEA-like designs, why its industrial-oriented artistic philosophies have been subsequently interpreted by the (arguably) uninspired. The author did not say that much, not because he had too little to say—au contraire, he had been so convinced by the vice of mass industrialization well before the discussion that he intentionally resisted the urge to quote his favorite writing by the French filmmaker Jean Renoir (the son of the Impressionist painter Auguste, no less).

The author of this musing discovered the following passage, aptly titled “Better than Perfect”, many moon ago. Simply put, yours truly was pleasantly astonished, for the piece eloquently revealed the banality of mass industrialization all in one fell swoop. To show his respect for the writing, and in order to do full justice to do the passage, the author shall quote the following excerpt. Still, please keep in mind that all words from the following essay represent everything yours truly stands for when it comes to art—he simply could not have said it better himself, especially the sections highlighted in purple:

The great problem, for me [Renoir], has always been the same, and will always be the same: my difficulties in Hollywood arise from the fact that the craft I am trying to practice has nothing to do with the film industry. I have never been able to see cinema as an industrial activity. Hollywood’s detractors hold that where industry goes wrong is in wanting to make money at any cost; that if you cater to the tastes of the crowd, you lapse into mediocrity. There is some truth in this, but the lure of gain is not the worst enemy.

The real danger, as I see it, lies in a blind love of so-called perfection. In order to attain this perfection, you stack up the talents. Thus such and such a film is adapted from a literary masterpiece; the script is written and revised by half a dozen top screenwriters; the director, too, is a celebrity. The actors are all stars, the editor is the hottest name in town. Having filled its hand with aces, the studio is sure it won’t fail. There’s no way all those brilliant people could come up with a turkey. Except they often do. The excuse for these failures is that sometimes, with the help of effective advertising, these turkeys make money. And sometimes, by pure good luck, or because of the magnetism of the actors or the topicality of the subject, a few of these productions can even be genuinely good.

In Hollywood, a big film is served up like a melon, in separate slices. This is the antithesis of my belief of unity. It’s all about dividing up the work and piling on the big names. The category of “star” extends well beyond actors: there are star writers, star cameramen, star designers. Each of these stars works without any real connection to the others. Isolated in their fortresses, these stars have to defend themselves against the intrusion of their common enemy, the producer. And in order to achieve that they play the prima donna […].

The mania for perfection exists in every field. Industry turns out perfect cars, perfect shoes, perfect ready meals, perfect houses. And the result is perfect monotony. Our surroundings are in general so lacking in variety that it makes one want to scream with boredom. Architects and decorators plead not guilty here. The thing with which they gratify us are, as they see it, varied. In an American street, it would seem, we have everything we need to satisfy our taste for fantasy. Your house is the French provincial style. Your neighbour’s house is in the Mexican style, and over the road is New England. Not many people relies that monotony comes from the sameness of the details rather than from the general conception. The windowpanes are all the same because they all come from the same machine. The door handles are the same, the floor is made with identical pieces of wood. The nails and screws holding the building together are all the same size: each one is perfect.

Progress has deprived us of the sometimes clumsy mark of craftsman who would have made that door. In the old days, whenever I came in, it was like a little conversation between the workman and myself. I get no joy from conversing with the mechanical saw that made this door. Machine work dulls a man, working by hand ennobles him. A craftsman’s products make life richer. Every handmade object is like a message from its maker. It contains life. What difference does it make if a mass-produced plate was designed by a master when the monotony of its repetition induces bloom? The variety and imperfections of primitive utensils put a song in the heart. I have no hesitation in saying that the wave of boredom that is blooding the modern world is due to the prefect décor in which we go about our business. The saving grace of cinema is that with a bit of patience, and even love, if you scrape away the conventional make-up, take a few liberties with orthodox lighting, you can get through to that deliciously complicated creature known as Man. I dream of a craftsman’s cinema in which authors can express themselves as directly as a writer does in his books or a painter in his pictures. Now and then, this dream comes true. Some authors of films leave an imprint on their works.

Upon being asked why yours truly has never owned any piece by IKEA (nor visited any of the brand’s outlets for that matter), he would always pull out the above passage and quote it in its entirety. Such is the reason why IKEA has never entered in his life.

Art History Excursion: When Brâncuşi Meets Dante and Rodin

2009-08-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

Speaking of "Bird in Space" the author of this blog cannot help but wishing to mention his favorite modern sculpture "The Kiss" (circa 1916). Constantin Brâncuşi experimented with proportions and made several versions but the one on display at the icnonic Montparnasse Cemetery takes the cake with its svelte linearity and the couple's intricate body language.

The Rumanian sculptor takes his inspiration from Auguste Rodin's marble sculpture "The Kiss", which in turn depicts an episode in Dante's Inferno: Francesca da Rimini, a 13th-century Italian noblewoman who falls in love with her husband Giovanni Malatesta's younger brother Paolo while reading the story of Lancelot and Guinevere, is caught kissing her brother-in-law. Giovanni discovers the lovers and murders them shortly after, promptly sending them to hell. Here is Dante's description from Circle 2, Canto 5 of Inferno:

And then I turned to them: "Thy dreadful fate,
Francesca, makes me weep, it so inspires
Pity," said I, "and grief compassionate.

Tell me—in what time of sighing-sweet desires,
How, and by what, did love his power disclose
And grant you knowledge of your hidden fires?"

Then she to me: "The bitterest of woes
Is to remember in our wretchedness
Old happy times; and this thy Doctor^ knows;

Yet, if so dear desire thy heart possess
To know that root of love which wrought our fall,
I’ll be as those who weep and who confess.

One day we read for pastime how in thrall
Lord Lancelot lay to love, who loved the Queen;
We were alone—we thought no harm at all.

As we read on, our eyes met now and then,
And to our cheeks the changing color started,
But just one moment overcame us—when

We read of the smile, desired of lips long-thwarted,
Such smile, by such a lover kissed away,
He that may never more from me be parted^^

Trembling all over, kissed my mouth. I say
That book was Galleot*, Galleot** the complying
Ribald who wrote; we read no more that day."

While the one spirit thus spoke, the other’s crying
Wailed on me with a sound so lamentable,
I swooned for pity like as I were dying.
And, as a dead man falling, down I fell.

[Trans. Dorothy L. Sayers, N.Y.: Penguin, 1949, rpt. 67]

Upon composing his version of "The Kiss" Brâncuşi tries to upstage Rodin's masterpiece by flattening the dimension of the sculpture, thereby giving the couple an interesting representation. In addition, the sexuality associated with the story is intensified with the couple's legs intertwining in a coitus-like position, fusing to become a phallic-shaped sculpture--all of which is contrasted by the minimized details and the overall modern, clean aesthetics, thereby giving the lost souls a particular ghost-like feel to their presence.

Much akin to "Luxe, Calme et Volupté" by Henri Matisse it is exactly the meeting of the great minds which allows me to appreciate Brâncuşi's "The Kiss", as if centuries of traditions in Western Art is distilled into this modern sculpture, a synergy that is greatly appreciated.

^ Referring to Virgil
^^ Referring to Paolo
* Sir Galleot brought Lancelot and Guenivere together
** the book, and its author, were "Galleots"

Art History Excursion: Debates on the Premise of Modern Art ("Bird in Space" by Constantin Brâncuşi)

2009-08-18T21:01:00.002-07:00

"Bird in Space", the 1923 sculpture series (executed in cast broze and marble) by Romanian modernist sculptor Constantin Brâncuşi (1876 –1957), is a poetic study of formal economy: though each sculpture expresses a bird in flight Brâncuşi eliminates a reliance on wings and feathers, choosing instead to elongate the body in an asymmetrical fashion. The sculptor then further emphasizes the fluidity of motion by fusing the birds' heads and necks with the body, further attempting to capture the essence of being by removing obvious reference to the external world. As a result the series takes on an eerie yet original rhythm, as if one is delving into an alternate Darwinian realm. Here, however, poses a problem: what if the sentiment is not shared?

While the proposed question seems like a benign dis-communication between the the modern avant-garde and the mass public, the issues takes on a whole new level in the context of these sculptures. Take the inevitably famous court battles, for instance: when Brâncuşi first brought the sculptures to the United States he was taxed by U.S. Customs. While art was not taxable the Time magazine reported the following incidents:

"Rumanian Sculptor Constantin Brancusi had to pay $4,000 to bring his Bird in Flight into the U. S. ... Works of art are duty free. But Sculptor Brancusi's bird had neither head, feet nor feathers. It was four and a half feet of bronze which swooped up from its base like a slender jet of flame. Customs Inspector Kracke said it was not art; merely "a manufacture of metal . . . held dutiable at 40% ad valorem." The press bantered, jibed. Indignant modernists wrote abstruse, defensive paragraphs. Sculptor Brancusi complained to the Customs Court.

"Last week Sculptor Brancusi won his case. In its decision the Customs Court dogmatically defined art: "It is a work of art by reason of its symmetrical shape, artistic outlines and beauty of finish." Even the most wretched of logicians knows enough not to repeat the same term in both subject and definition ("art" —"artistic outline"). But Sculptor Brancusi had his money refunded."

The story takes on a more bizarre turn when American photographer Edward Steichen bought the sculpture in France: when Marcel Duchamp (the ever loyal Brâncuşi dealer) entered America with the photographer’s newly purchased artwork United States customs officials imposed an import tax of $240 on the basis that the sculpture was not art (McKee). Not surprisingly in 1927 Steichen and Duchamp disputed the charge (Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, founder of the Whitney Museum, even financed the lawsuit). McKee futher points out the following notable incidients from this case:

The court case raised many questions, not only about the legal definition of art as a faithful representation of the subject portrayed, but also about the way in which the art object comes into being. On this issue, there was clear dissent among the artists themselves, but this was glossed over for the sake of a legal victory. When Jacob Epstein was asked by the judge if it would make any difference to artistic quality if the work had been made by a mechanic rather than a sculptor, Epstein replied, ”If it is beautiful it could not have been made by a mechanic.” Duchamp’s reaction to this statement has not been documented, but it would be surprising if he were in agreement, considering his presentation of Bicycle Wheel and Bottle Rack over a decade earlier (McKee).

In the end the judge annulled the fee and gave the following verdict:

There has been developing a so-called new school of art, whose exponents attempt to portray abstract ideas rather than to imitate natural objects. Whether or not we are in sympathy with these newer ideas, we think that the facts of their existence and their influence on the art world must be considered (McKee).

So given the situation above suffice to say that the United States custom officials in question would not have been amused had they learnt that the sculptures would not only be recognized as art and fetched record prices in 2005 for $27.45 million US at Christie's spring auction of Impressionist and modern art in New York (CBC). But there lies another logical trap: is the work an automatic piece of art when the composition is deemed more valuable (thereby persumably getting direct endorsements from others)?

The author is referring to, of course, the hoopla which British artist Damien Hirst has managed to generate back in 2007 when he purchased an 18th Century skull and encrusted it, according to BBC News, £12m-worth of ethically sourced diamonds. While the work, cheekily titled "For the Love of God", was said to be inspired by an Aztec turquoise skull at the British Museum, the general public unfortunately zeroed in on its estimated worth (£50m) and the encrusting 8,601 jewels. Then again, by the same materialistic logic any estate jewellery pieces of comparable price could be branded as art should, with the help of Duchamp's ready-made rationale, such is the intention of the artist in the first place. Would yours truly dare to apply such standard? While the author would consider, for example, Fabergé eggs to be artistic triumphs such sentiment could not be shared universally at best.

Ultimately the pertinent factor concerning the various issues above lies not in the creation themselves but the connotation associated with modern art, which by right challenges most people's perception of the status quo. Thus it is not surprising that the premise of modern art is not clearly charted to this day: one needs to, however, be vigilent of the various issues associated with this subject, for what would this field be without the questions?

Art History Excursion: Thoughts on Buñuel and Dalí's "Un chien andalou"

2009-08-18T21:01:00.001-07:00

Describing the 1929 surrealist production as bizarre is a vast understatement: the sixteen-minute silent film, produced in France by the Aragonian director Luis Buñuel and the Catalonian artist Salvador Dalí, has essentially no succinct plot, focusing instead on arresting visual and musical elements in order to construct its avant-garde mise-en-scène. And to further complicate the situation Buñuel made it absolutely clear in his autobiography "My Last Sigh" that, between Dalí and himself, the only rule for the the script was that "no idea or image that might lend itself to a rational explanation of any kind would be accepted." So what to make of it all?

While yours truly has no conclusive answers perhaps one should examine the arresting motifs from a psychological point of view. The film opens with a hair-raising eye-slitting scene, with the husband (Luis Buñuel) perpetrating an act of violence against his wife (above).* It should be noted, however, that the subsequent footage would show no apparent physical harm to the wife, revealing the brutality was maybe committed at the psychological level, a trauma which (at least in part) gave the wife (Simone Mareuil) a reason to take on a lover (Pierre Batcheff) many years later. Interestingly enough, such domestic violence would go on to be echoed by the opening fantasy torture sequence in Buñuel's 1967 French classic Belle de jour (below), in which the masochistic bourgeois wife Séverine Serizy (Catherine Deneuve) would imagine herself being tied, whipped, and sexually harassed in the forest for being seemingly frigid during a coach ride with her husband. So with these facts in mind one theme emerges: perhaps the surrealist artists wish to address the level of psychological harm that the society can place upon women even at a domestic level, which is brutally honest compared to the lofty Victorian ideals. Shock factor aside maybe the surrealists are demonstrating the women's psyche and the mental abuse they have to put up with: is it less damaging just because one doesn't necessarily observe these acts out in the open? One may beg to differ.

And on the note of such psychological interplay it may come as no surprise that Argentinian tango "Ole guapa" is featured throughout the film. Film critic Annette Insdorf once noted that Argentinian tango is a peculiar genre: although the playful dance showcases a woman it is actually her partner who calls the shots--he shall place his right hand on her lower back, silently restricting her movement throughout the routine. Thus while there may be an element of playfulness throughout the film the subversive nature of the music should be noted, espeically since the film features fetishes such as ants (crawling in and out of the palms repeatedly), Death's-head Hawkmoth (fixiated on the wall), and armpit hair--all of which arguably provoke the wife.

The above-mentioned fetishes also point to the amount of a sexual obsession, a channelling of desires as witnessed by the persistent harmonic progression of excerpts from Richard Wagner's Liebestod, the concert version of the finale to the opera Tristan und Isolde (the YouTube clip above features a complete performance by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle). According to author Bryan Magee the music is famous for its use of harmonic suspension, a device deployed in order to create musical tension. By exposing the audience to a series of prolonged unfinished harmonies, the music inflicts a keen sense of longing and expectation on the part of the listener for a musical resolution. Interestingly enough, such musical resolution takes place when the lover (Pierre Batcheff) dies, echoing the death motif in the Wagnerian opera. Strangely enough, as opposed to Wagner's ideal of lovers' consummation in death the surrealist film gives the resolution an ironic twist since the wife would return to the husband, maybe suggesting a psychological self-sacrifice of the lover for the love of the woman.

Psychological death of love is also quite prevalent at the end of the film, for the morbid scene preceeds with a playful beach strolling scene between the couple. With the love-dominent interactions the audience may deduce that the couple is "stuck" with each other, losing their passion along the way after the resolution of the ménage à trois drama.

One last trivia is in order: the young Salvador Dalí actually makes a cameo appearance in this film as one of the two rather bewildered priests dragged by Luis Buñuel (above right). The imagrie would foreshadow the subsequent strained relationship between Buñuel and Dalí and the subsequent severence of their friendship. Buñuel scholar Julie Jones notes that the director would go on to display Jean-François Millet's Des glaneuses (1857) in Belle de jour as a subtle expression of his anger towards Dalí's perceived deceit (since wheat, the object harvested in Des glaneuses, is one of Dalí's most prevalent motifs).

* The eye that was actually sliced in the opening scene was that of a dead calf: through intense lighting Buñuel disguised the furred face of the animal as human-like.

Art History Excursion: From Baudelaire to Matisse

2009-08-18T21:00:00.001-07:00

Luxe, Calme et Volupté ("Luxury, Calm and Pleasure") by Henri Matisse, 1904

The oil painting above by Matisse, though considered to be the master's transition to his seminal 1906 masterpiece Le Bonheur de Vivre ("Joy of Life"), is actually much appreciated with its exuberant interpretation of one of your truly's favorite poems, Charles Baudelaire's iconic L'invitation au voyage ("Invitation to the Voyage").

Matisse was well versed of the poem and the well-documented circumstance associated with its composition, for the painter had a keen interest in Baudelaire (Hughes). L'Invitation au voyage, first published in the original 1857 edition of Baudelaire's controversial anthology Les Fleurs du mal ("The Flowers of Evil"), was created during one of the darkest moments in the poet's life: deeply crippled by illnesses, debts, and strained relationships, Baudelaire envisioned a getaway, a fantastic personal universe which he could articulate his ideals. The resulting composition, punctuated by the iconic doublet Là, tout n'est qu'ordre et beauté, / Luxe, calme et volupté. ("There, all is order and beauty, / Luxury, calmness and pleasure."), is not only lavishly embedded with sensory delights but also highlighted by lilting delicate meter and rhyming schemes which delight the audience when being (properly) read aloud, further elevating the imaginative harmony of the work, as witnessed in the following verse:

Des meubles luisants,

Polis par les ans,

Décoreraient notre chambre;

Les plus rares fleurs

Mêlant leurs odeurs

Aux vagues senteurs de l'ambre,

Les riches plafonds,

Les miroirs profonds,

La splendeur orientale,

Tout y parlerait

À l'âme en secret

Sa douce langue natale.

("The gleaming furniture, / Polished by the years, / Will decorate our chamber; / The rarest blooms, / Combining their scents / With vague whiffs of amber, / The sumptuous ceilings, / The fathomless mirrors, / The oriental splendor, / All shall whisper / Secretly to the soul / Softly in its native tongue.")

The verse above also marks a significant difference between the compositions by Baudelaire and Matisse. While Baudelaire's masterpiece is deeply rooted in the traditional escapist imageries of the East, the painter's literary interest is merged with various other influences.

Matisse's approach to modern art was stemmed from tradition, though he would reject its overbearing influence once he had mastered his craft. The artist, having closely studied the painting by Manet and Cézanne, actually bought a small Cézanne Bathers in 1899 as his talisman. Then around 1904 Matisse became interested in the coloured-dotting techniques championed by Seurat's Divisionism and befriended Seurat's closest follower Paul Signac. In "The Shock of the New", Robert Hughes deduces futher insights on Luxe, Calme et Volupté:

Signac's paintings of Saint-Tropez bay were an important influence on Matisse's work. So, perhaps, was the painting that Signac regarded as his masterpiece and exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants in 1895, Au temps d'harmonie ("In the Time of Harmony", below), a big allegorical composition setting forth his anarchist beliefs. The painting shows a Utopian Arcadia of relaxation and farming by the sea, and it may have fused with the traditional fête champétre in Matisse's mind to produce his own awkward but important demonstration piece, Luxe, Calme et Volupte, 1904-5. One sees a picnic by the sea at Saint-Tropez, with a lateen-rigged boat and a cluster of bulbous, spotty nudes. It is not, to put it mildly, a very stirring piece of luxe, but it was Matisse's first attempt to make an image of the Mediterranean as a state of mind (Hughes).

Au temps d’harmonie (L’âge d’or n’est pas dans le passé, il est dans l’avenir) by Paul Signac, 1895

Still, regardless of the somewhat derivative influences Matisse's genius would be apparent in Luxe, Calme et Volupté. The painting's form is considerably flattened compared to the painter's inspirations. The display of colours, though still short of mastery, points to the epiphany on colour that Matisse would realize shortly after. Most importantly, the artist's aesthetics of sexual ambivalence and the importance he places on form, major elements found in Matisse's subsequent paintings, are already ravishingly eminent in this 1904 painting.

Art History Excursion: The Politics of the Feminine Ideal

2009-08-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

As previously stated Impressionism and modern art both started as a direct reaction to the constraints placed by the academics. Though the various European academies started out as well-intentioned organizations that aimed to bolster the educational opportunities of the artists, the institutions' various requirements such as inoffensive plots and painting styles soon got in the way of progress. The Birth of Venus (1863) by Alexandre Cabanel is one such example: the pristine nude goddess, meticulously portrayed and untouched by any sign of impurity (marked by her lack of androgenic hair), is the epitome of classical beauty in her reclining slumber. Though the audience witnesses a voluptuous, feminine ideal the goddess of love curiously lacks any explicit sign of sexuality, as if she is strangely removed from earthly passions--yet could this be the exact point of the academics?

In the nineteenth century people started looking to the home as a realm of freedom and stability (Ackerman 88). According to Ackerman, it became the women's job to be "the civilizing force in the family, instilling morals, guarding the good, and encouraging spirituality" (88). As a result prudery reached an all-time high, precisely because paragons of virtue could not mix with indecency. Thus it is not surprisingly that Queen Victoria, a prim matron, captured the the imagination of many Europeans and became one of the era's most enduring symbol. Simply put, earthly filth of any sense--bit it moral or literal--had to be eliminated from the house, the body, and from anyone's life.

As a result a woman could not initiate any romantic intrigue: she could only wait for a man to discover her, and only then she could choose to accept or to reject the advance (Ackerman 88). So with this sociological background in mind Cabanal's sexually paradoxical Venus above serves as a subtle reinforcement of the wholesome ideal--the feminine bosoms and the curvaceous hip in this case mark the sign of the traditional depictions of a woman without erring on the indecent, else a scandal would erupt.

Therefore given such social paradigm perhaps one should not be surprised by the fervor and the uproar generated by Édouard Manet's unsentimental depiction of the modern reclining nude. Olympia (1863), without any prudence, is a depiction of a naked prostitute, traumatizing the sensibility of the nineteenth century sentimentality with her frank stare at the audience, her empowered gesture of covering up her genitalia (certainly Cabanel's Venus wouldn't need to do so), and her nonchalant attitude towards the bouquet sent by her client--it's as if she is whispering "Next!" secretly to herself. The remorseless depiction of the female sexuality, free of any pretension, thus became an unthinkable scandal.

While yours truly would have been perfectly content with Manet's transgression modern art is, of course, filled with one upmanship: painters such as Gauguin and Matisse used Olympia as a new point of reference and produced The Spirit of the Dead Watching (1892) above and The Blue Nude: Souvenir of Biskra (1907) below respectively (Foster et al. 67-69). However, whereas Manet aimed to shock the audience with the frank subject matter Gauguin and Matisse seem to take a slightly different route, challenging the bourgeoisie instead on the forms of the compositions.

The latest versions of reclining nudes, though not as aesthetically harmonious as the academic nudes, actually carry off an air of sexual ambivalence in their body language that has not been observed in Manet's painting--Gauguin and Matisse, in turn, utilize artistic forms in order to achieve their intentions. Gauguin's Tahiti-inspired painting not only replaces the black servant found in Olympia with the archetypal grim reaper, the painting is arguably filled with an air of detachment and disengagement, instead letting the saturated, exotic colour palette and bold decorative yellow ornamentation to contrast with the sombre spirit of the dead in order to generate a certain avant garde shock. One can even argue that the primitive girl, with her gaze slightly averted and with her buttock positioned in a viewer-oriented position, is less sexually empowered than Manet's muse. Such sexual detachment is even more emphasized in Matisse's blue nude, complete with the figure's introspective gaze and her covered genitalia, using the visibly broad brushstrokes and harmounious colour coordination as the emphasis instead.

Come to think of it, the author feels that the ever popular theme of female nudity is now still thriving in a new guise. A few days ago the composer of this musing came across the portrait right above, featuring a reclining, pregnant supermodel Kate Moss painted by Lucien Freud (1922-present). Interestingly enough, the idea of how the society views a woman's sexuality remains a pertinent topic, this time enhanced by Freud's comment on the contemporary society's fascination with celebrity and commercialization. Here Moss, with a detached expression and with an averted glance, seems to echo Gauguin's girl but instead also carries an air of exhibitionist fetish by unabashedly spreading her legs in a aesthetically pleasing, diagonal fashion in order to give off an illusion of tallness (the supermodel is, at the height of 5'7", widely considered to be too short for her profession). But a sense of ambiguity persists: the slightly flattened sense of dimension, complete with the white beams on the sides of the painting, actually adds a certain voyeuristic flair to the composition, as if the audience is taking a peek at the supermodel--whether woman is off guard or not remains to be the debate (Moss famously upholds the "never complain, never explain" public relations policy throughout the years: she rarely grants interviews). The ambiguity, however, is now turned into an aura of mysteriousness even though Moss leaves very little to the imagination: Freud is perhaps commenting on how Moss manages to say so much without saying a thing, choosing instead to subtly morph accordingly to the public's imagination (the womanly figure is a far cry from the supermodel's early waifish incarnation back in the 90s).

Perhaps it's the complex issues which human beings placed upon the idea of our nakedness that makes us one of the only being on earth to bulk at the reasons behind our nudity. After all, it is not the clothes that make the (wo)men.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ackerman, Diane. A Natural History of Love. New York: Vintage, 1994.

Foster et al. Art Since 1900. New York: thames & Hudson, 2007.

Art History Excursion: To Be Freudian or Not to Be?

2009-08-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

Do I have penis envy? Of course I do. It's ingrained in my brain. (Madonna)

Several days have elapsed since yours truly last mused about modern art, mostly because of the difficulty of the subject matter encountered. For days the author tried very hard to gather this thoughts on a stance on a highly contested topic, complicated by the intricacy of the subject matter. Though the author is a seasoned student in psychology, having studied the works of Freud and Jung for almost 15 years (albeit intermittently), it seems that the ever pertinent application of the knowledge remains to be a challenge for this novice art student. Simply put, the issue of applying Freudian psychoanalysis in modern art, naming the sexual symbolic readings of the art works, remains to be a hard sell for the author.

Still, before diving into the subject matter an important disclaimer is in order. The importance of psychoanalysis in the scheme of modern art development cannot be disputed: psychoanalysis was developed by Freud in the early years of the twentieth century and intersects with modern art in numerous ways (Foster et al. 15). Aside from the visual representation made by the Surrealists in the twenties and thirties, the theoretical and political critique in the seventies and eighties, psychoanalysis has several common interests with modern art and even helps building some basic vocabulary of twentieth-century art and criticism, words and concepts such as repression, sublimation, fetishism, the gaze (Foster et al. 15). And without such concepts the framework of modern art would have been altered dramatically, even lacking the necessary ideas to diving into social criticisms, a concept which is perhaps best demonstrated by Meret Oppenheim's Object (1936) below: the teacup, saucer, and spoon, all lined with the fur of a Chinese gazelle, seems to a Surrealistic comment on the bourgeois concept of female sexuality, then often thought to be merely an object of consumption for the whim of men. The bizarre contrast between the everyday and the exotic, via a smutty allusion to female genitalia, seems to raise an interesting issue on how sex was incorporated into everyday life--instead of being an important facet of self-exploration female sexuality could be viewed as mere objects, with the fetish item (such as the spoon) even as a stirring stick in order to spice up the banality of the everyday life. Such art work cannot be articulated without the guidance of psychoanalysis, and without the synergy of the two fields of humanities such exploration of the human psyche would have been quite impossible.

Yet the flip side of the art above also demonstrates a potential problem between the alliance of these two disciplines. Foster et al. notes that the approach might have been too conscious, as if the "the psyche could simply be illustrated by the work" when psychoanalysis is not designed to be so cut and dry (17). The opposite also holds true: the relationship between the disciplines could be assumed as so direct that the specificity of the work could be lost, resulting in a complicated deciphering process (Foster et al. 17).

The danger of attempting to decipher art work as a symbolic reading could be best illustrated with the Freudian theory of woman as an incomplete, castrated male, an early psychoanalysis theory which has since garnered its own set of debates. Simply put, Freud believes that woman are considered to be an incomplete male and thus are envious of the missing part (the parallel reaction in boys to the realization that girls do not have a penis is castration anxiety). And although such child development theories has since been discredited in the field of psychology and been replaced by theories of Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget, Freudian theories are still curiously relevant in modern art analysis (perhaps due to its analytical flexibility and ease of application when nothing else is applicable). Still, the author is unease at the prospect of linking Pablo Picasso's Les Demoiselle d'Avignon back to the stare of Medusa simply because of the prostitutes' gazes happen to somewhat allude to the Grecian figure, thus linking the severed monster and the "incomplete" women as castrated males. While yours truly has no doubt that the art circle must had its reasons to accept the psychoanalytic scenarios, the fact that the interpretation is based on now largely rejected psychoanalytical concepts is troubling--it's perhaps the artistic equivalent of proving a theorem using outdated mathematical theorems, thereby deriving a solution based on outdated assumptions.

The author's issue with some aspects of Freudian psychoanalysis ultimately stems from that fact that though the discipline emerges out of clinical work, in Freud's time there was a heavy reliance on anecdotal information. The author's problem with Freud's seminal The Interpretation of Dreams stems from the fact that Freud relied on his interactions with friends, many of whom's testimonies could not be fact-checked nor observed in other patients, thereby reducing the credibility of the theories due to the lack of sufficient empirical data. To illustrate the lack of scientific objectivity could be observed from the following excerpt:

It is just as easy to discover wish-fulfillment in some other dreams that I have collected from normal people. A friend who knows my dream theory and had shared it with his wife said to me one day, "I must tell you that my wife dreamed yesterday that she had her period. You know what that means." Certainly I knew; since the young woman had dreamed that she had her period, it meant that her period had not come. I could well believe that she would liked to have enjoyed her freedom a little longer before beginning the burdens of motherhood. It was a clever way of announcing the onset of her pregnancy. Another friend writes me that his wife recently dreamed that she noticed drops of milk on her blouse front. This is always a sign of pregnancy, but not a first pregnancy; the young mother wanted to have more milk for the second child than she had had for the first. . . . (Washington State University)

The fact that an unconscious thought could be concluded through third-party account, and the fact that a woman's psyche could be concluded without comparing other similar scenarios is a shocking form of psychoanalysis in its hasty approach. So while Freud is now credited as the man who allowed people to start examining and exploring the unconscious modern psychologists have since then moved onto other theories--the fact that even Freud's colleagues such as C. G. Jung subsequently disagreed with Freud's theories and began formulating their own theories, combined with the man's clinical approach, spoke volume regarding the validity of the theories. Thus outdated theories, no matter how important it once was, is still allowed to be accepted as a mean to analyze an art work is simply beyond shocking for this novice art student.

In addition, the perpetuation of the Freudian theory also hosts an alternative issue of its own by consciously ingraining people with concepts such as penis envy, castration complex and Oedipus complex (or its female parallel Electra complex). Thus subsequently it becomes very difficult to people to find out whether such notions are innate (as proposed by Freud) or simply ingrained and passed on to others due to the popularity of Freud, thus generating a circular argument. And the fact that Freud applied free-form association techniques, largely drawing to conclusions often without showing proofs, though bordering on a significant abuse of power, allowed others to practice such analysis. So maybe the above-mentioned quote by Madonna is not so flippy after all.

My dismay toward the circularity of the Freudian theory is perhaps best illustrated by the above photo. Lynda Benglis' Untitled (1974), while serves as a wonderful mockery to the macho posturing of some Minimalist and Post minimalists artists and comments on the increased marketing of contemporary art, one will difficulty deciphering if Benglis has a legitimate, innate manifestation of penis envy or simply under the influence of Freud. While it is obvious that Benglis' criticism of the patriarchal hierarchies should not be ignored, one may run the risk of over-simplifying the complex sociological, historical, and religious aspects associated with gender issues by simply explaining almost everything with psychoanalysis, especially when the discipline is barely a century old and is still largely in development.

So it is the author's belief that psychoanalysis needs to be reasonably applied within the context of the works, pending if and only if an overwhelming amount of evidence is available to undertake such approach. Otherwise your guess is as good as mine.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Foster, Hal et al. Art Since 1900. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2007.

Freud. (1900). The Interpretation of Dreams. In Paul Brians et al. (Ed.), Reading About the World, Volume 2. Retrieved from Washiongton State University Resources of the Study of World Civilization Database: http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_2/freud.html

Art History Excursion: Archetypo (Are Modern Artists Really Free?)

2009-08-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

Why did Plato say that poets should be chased out of the republic? Precisely because every poet and every artist is an antisocial being. He's not that way because he wants to be; he can't be any other way.... and if he really is an artist it is in his nature not to want to be admitted, because if he is admitted it can only mean he is doing something which is understood, approved, and therefore old hat - worthless. (Pablo Picasso)

Ever since painters had started escaping the strangling holds of the European academies by asserting the aesthetics of autonomy in the nineteenth century modern art has distinguished itself by the cultural independence which the general public has bestowed upon the artists. Artistic freedom has even become an ideology, a dominant ideal that society generally accepts. Surely the select, gifted few such as Pablo Picasso (1871 – 1973), Piet Mondrian (1872 – 1944) had seemingly testified and reaffirmed such notion by reinventing themselves time after time with numerous shifts in their artistic statements, generating chameleon-like styles along the way. Thus comes the notion of considering a work of art as, according to Foster et al., “a purely self-sufficient and self-reflexive experience” (23)—even though the concept of perfect autonomy is non-existent due to the strain between the overarching Enlightenment philosophical framework and the rise of inflexible instrumentalization of the mercantile capitalist class (23).

But is the society in risk of, upon taking the ideology at its face value, excluding the greater truth that has ultimately shaped modern art? While recognizing the importance of suppressing the undesirable effect of artistic institutionalization is highly encouraged (thus eliminating the needs of readily labeling artists with stickers full of “-isms”) is one in risk of overestimating a hermetic artistic approach, in risk of subtracting the interactive, multilateral components of the creative process?

The proposed issue may be deemed superfluous until one examines how Picasso interacted with the general public at the later stage of his career. About three years ago I had the honour of attending the “Protean Picasso: Drawings and Prints from the National Gallery of Canada & Selected Paintings from International Collections” exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery; the curator, after elucidating the evolution of the great artist, poignantly mused that Cubism haunted the master ever since Picasso had grown out of the style. Picasso had to, in essence, accept that his subsequent creations in other styles would be met with confusion from the public. There would even be people who, upon having successfully requested the master’s scribble, would daringly ask for a redraw if the drawing was deeded too realistic looking. (Picasso, unlike some of his peers, had no problem signing autographs with accompanied miniature drawings.) Thus in light of the artistic constraints the notion of “artists are free” truly needs to be further examined at a slightly different angle.

Perhaps the issue is best approached by the use of psychoanalysis, a discipline emerged and developed at the same time that modernist art asserted itself, intersecting with it in numerous ways throughout the twentieth century (Foster et al., 15). Carl Gustav Jung (1875 – 1961), a Swiss psychiatrist who founded Analytical psychology, empirically observed around 1919 that human beings are equipped with archetypes: innate, mostly universal molds which people may be use in order to interpret observations (Hopcke, 14). Jung viewed archetypes as ambivalent, readily manifesting themselves as positives or negatively since they largely function autonomously, and according to Hopcke, “organizing human experience for the individual in particular ways without regard to the constructive or destructive consequences to the individual life” (16). While Jung has identified a number of anthropomorphic archetypes author Caroline Myss has identified Artist as an archetype (368), a notion that has been established in various cultures for generations that artists, regardless of their chosen mediums, are marked by “how intense their motivation is to manifest the extraordinary” in order to “create an emotional field that inspires others” (Myss, 368). Such intense motivation, as the bourgeoisie of the nineteenth century European societies had learned, required artists to go beyond banality—with the ego to boot in order to go beyond conventionality and even the establishment. It was this spirit, this archetype that allowed modern art to break free from the traditions.

However, as modern art is meant to critically examine and to provoke people to think about the status quo it is nearly impossible for an artist to perform his or her job without the society ready to be provoked. Although great artworks can potentially stand the test of time, timing is ironically everything—styles that are too avant garde or worse, out of style will render modern art’s role ineffective. After all, what is the value of criticism if the problem has yet to manifest itself, how can the message be heard if the idiom is too ahead of its time to comprehend? Such is the paradox of modern art—an artist needs to assert its independence by celebrating his or her differences from the masses, yet often using the society as the subject matter.

But a greater issue lies ahead: suppose a work does successfully comment and fascinate the society, thus creating an impact before being integrated into the society? Such is the case of Piet Mondrian’s neoplastic movement (De Stijl): the study of the primary colours, rigorous solid black lines and their interactions, combinations eventually became so accessible in that 60s that a generation’s imagination was captured as a result. The purity and the clarity found in works such as Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow (1930, above) lend itself to the ideals of the 60s that French couturier Yves Saint Laurent, then having his fingers firmly on the pulse of the society, devoted his Fall/Winter 1964/1965 Haute Couture collection to dresses (right) directly inspired by Mondrian’s compositions. The avant garde artist, in term, served his purpose in terms of challenging the society regarding what constitute art and became a different symbol altogether due to the altered set of underlying societal values and zeitgeists. Simply put, the younger generation’s concept of what constitute as edgy had drastically altered by the free-for-all decade, and because modern art needs to constantly reinvent itself upon the destruction of the establishment Mondrian’s works simply generated an impact because the integration process.

Thus the ambiguous, unpredictable paradox of the modern society creates artists and works fills with contradictions. With it is in mind perhaps one should not accept the “artist is free” ideology at its face value and understanding that there’s a more sophisticated, albeit more complex, system that weaves the stakeholders to interact with each other in ways that make modern art so fascinating. So is an artist constrained by his or her interaction with the society, or can the artist asserts the ideological freedom?

Well, why not both?

Photo (From Top): Piet Mondrian, "Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow" (1930) from Flickr.com; Mondrian dress by Yves Saint Laurent (Fall-Winter 1964-1965 Haute Couture), photo taken from KrystalRodriguez.com

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Foster, Hal et al. Art Since 1900. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2007.

Hopcke, Robert H. A Guided Tour of the Selected Works of C. G. Jung. Boston: Shambhala, 1992.

Myss, Caroline. Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential. New York: Harmony Books, 2001.

Art History Excursion: The Influence of Ocular Disorders on Works by Monet and Degas

2009-08-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

Allow me to begin this discourse by introducing my point of reference. I may not be an expert in modern art but I certainly hope to discover yet another artistic terrain in the near future.

During the second half of the nineteenth century the landscape of European visual art received a seismic shakeup. The traditional academic painting style, known for its detailed fine brushstrokes and superfluous subject matters, faced a power struggle when a group of relatively unknown painters, whose works were largely considered unimpressive by the École des Beaux-Arts, ignored conventions and started exhibiting rejected paintings at the Salon des Refusés in Paris, France in the 1860s (Pioch). The compositions, marked by their unusually visible brush strokes, arresting visual angles and shimmering complexions, later formally evolved into the art movement Impressionism in 1872 when the French critic Louis Leroy invented the term in a satiric review of Claude Monet's Impression, Sunrise (Figure 1) from the newspaper Le Charivari (Pioch). The public eventually recognized the fresh and unique vision behind those painting and accepted the compositions as artistic triumphs since then.

Figure 1: Impression, Sunrise (c. 1873) by Claude Monet

The principal members of Impressionism, including Claude Monet (1840 – 1926) and Edgar Degas (1834 – 1917), all of whom interprets visual reality in terms of transient effects of light and colour, strove to communicate with each other in order to elevate their skills (Pioch). Of course, many scholars have since attempted to decipher what contributed to their artistic styles, including social, geographical and cultural factors (Clay, 80). However, some of the scholars, after uncovering the artists' medical records, have come to believe that some of the painters' ocular conditions were additional factors that contributed to the style of their paintings. Therefore, the appreciation of the works of Monet and Degas thus can be enriched upon examining the artists' medical records: the optical disorders that Monet and Degas experienced could have played a role, even serving as their muses on some occasions. In fact, a greater insight into the visual masterpieces can be obtained by understanding how the painters' visual conditions factored into their artistic visions, thus gaining a more in-depth, comprehensive appreciation of the iconic paintings.

Understanding the artistic development of a painter based on medical records is especially encouraged when one understands the serious optical conditions which Edgar Degas suffered throughout his lifetime and how such conditions influenced the ways the master composed his works. In fact, accordingly to Dr. Patrick D. Trevor-Roper, an acclaimed writer and eye surgeon, Edgar Degas adjusted his artistic medium three times in his life in order to adapt to his eye defects—Degas' vision, therefore, helped in shaping his artistic vision (17). Degas' eyes started deteriorating at the very beginning of his artistic career. In his book The World Through Blunted Sight, Dr. Trevor-Roper (17) notes that the artist hardly painted anything outdoor since Degas' eyes were extremely sensitive to bright light. Such aversion to light could be confirmed by the following letter Degas wrote to his aunt:

I have just had and still have a spot of weakness and trouble in my eyes. It caught me at Chatou, by the edge of the water in the full sunlight, while I was doing a water colour, and it made me lose nearly three weeks, being unable to read or go out much, trembling all the while least I should remain like that (Guerin, in Marmor and Ravin, 193-194).

Furthermore, according to Diane Ackerman, the best-selling author of A Natural History of the Senses, Degas's ocular problems became more serious after 1870: he switched from oil to pastel as a result of the change in his perception, as indicated by correspondences to his close friends (167). In addition, Degas' vision problems were compounded by the degeneration of the retina, a genetic condition which completely affected his right eye and created a large blind spot (Trevor-Roper, 39). (For more information on the anatomy-related terms please refer to Appendix A: The Anatomy of the Human Eye.) In fact, according to Marmor and Ravin, Degas' retina, the lining of the eyeballs responsible for coloured vision, was so badly damaged that the colours he could observe were more acidic and less refined than before. Moreover, the macula, the central part of the retina, responsible for identifying blue, was also damaged (Marmor and Rain, 116). Therefore, upon drawing Dancers in Red Skirts (Figure 2) Degas chose acidic pastel colours and did not favour blue in the compositions: blue is actually the least present colour in that series of paintings, indicating the effect of such medical conditions (Marmor and Rain, 196).

Figure 2: Dancers in Red Skirts (c. 1876-1884) by Edgar Degas

After the completion of a series of pastel paintings, Degas' eyesight was so poor that he had to change his artistic medium. He was interested in horses, but since he couldn't stand sunlight he collected photographs of horses so he could work comfortably at his focal range. He gradually fell back on sculpture, finding that his sense of touch was more reliable. "I must learn a blind man's trade now," he lamented at the end of his life (Ackerman, 269).

How optical disorders influenced Degas may be viewed as an isolated incident unless one also examines Claude Monet's medical records. For instance, Dr. Trevor-Roper confirms that ever since the beginning of the artist's career Monet suffered from near-sightedness (myopia) and was ordered by his doctor to wear glasses. However, due to his fear of medicine Monet chose not to follow the advice. While Monet's myopia was not severe enough to affect his daily routine, later in his life his condition was attributed to cataracts, a disorder characterized by the accumulation of opaque protein within the eyes that severely alters the patient's vision (Marmor and Ravin, 169). The hard protein layer acts as a filter that blocks out colours such as blue, violet, and purple and accepts primarily red, orange, and yellow. As Marmor and Ravin (169) also points out, the protein also tones down the intensity of these colours; therefore, Monet, a cataract patient, can only perceive drab colours, seeing objects with muddy and dull colours.

Monet first noticed his diminishing eye-sight during a trip in Venice in 1901, in which he had difficulty choosing the right colours; he had to ask his assistants to pick out colours for him (Geffroy, in Marmor and Ravin, 169). However, he ignored the problem until 1912: according to existing medical records, Monet's cataracts were becoming very severe over the course of time, completely inhibiting the functions of his eyes eventually (Marmor and Ravin, 170). For the next five years, Monet consulted five extremely well-known ophthalmologists, all of whom urged him to receive a cataract operation as soon as possible; however, Marmor and Ravin (170) notes that Monet refused all of the proposals, citing his overwhelming fear of surgery. Meanwhile, his vision continued to deteriorate, and he gave his account on what happened from 1913-1918 during interview in 1918:

I no longer perceived colours with same intensity, I no longer painted light with the same accuracy. Reds appeared muddy to me, pinks insipid, and the intermediate or lower tones escaped me (Geffroy, in Marmor and Ravin, 172).

As the result of his cataract, Monet had to adjust his painting techniques, which is evident in the oil painting The Japanese Bridge (Figure 3). The work is typical from this period, displaying the necessary stylistic adaptations which Monet was forced to apply due to his optical disorder: his paintings are dominated by muddy orange, smoky brown and musty red, all of which are colours visible to a cataract patient. While an artist has the freedom to choose the colour scheme of a work whichever way he likes, the choices made by Monet during this period were quite consistent with what a cataract patient might observe. Although myopia can also distort the clarity of his vision, the form and the method of painting becomes loose and vague, which makes the objects in the picture impossible to identify accurately (Trevor-Roper, 95). Ackerman (270) also comments that Monet's cataract problem seriously affected him during this period: his vision was so blunted that he had to label all of the paint tubes carefully and diligently mix the oils together, though he was deeply unsatisfied all the time and had to repeatedly retouch the paintings. Not surprisingly, one Times critic wrote, "Just before his (Monet's) cataract operation [the paintings] were very unpleasant indeed, with their coarse handling of paint and bilious colouring" (Trevor-Roper, 96).

Figure 3: The Japanese Bridge (1919) by Claude Monet

In 1923 Monet finally agreed to undergo a cataract operation. Upon the successful completion of the operation Monet was perceptive to blue and purple again (Trevor-Roper, 98). According to Ackerman, Monet was surprised by all the blueness in the world, and to have been appalled by the strange colours in his recent work, which he anxiously retouched (Ackerman, 270). As a result, paintings such as Green Reflections (Figure 4) were retouched and redrawn until the desired colour combinations were chosen. Such observations are consistent with the comments by Larson, who breaks down Monet’s famous paintings from this period by pigments: Larson (87) concludes that Monet greatly favoured colours such as “cobalt violet, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, and black” during this stage of this career. This blue phase marks the final period of Monet’s artistic career and he died shortly after the completion of those pictures on water lilies (Ackerman, 270).

Figure 4: Green Reflections (c. 1920-1926) by Claude Monet

While a few may question the revolutionary talent of Monet and Degas upon examining their medical records, the above-mentioned optical disorders do not alter the public's opinions on the painters' artistic brilliance. After all, there have been many people suffering from myopia, cataract and even retinal degeneration before and since Monet and Degas—however, not all of them are master painters. Artistic talent, first and foremost, must be present within any painter in order for the artist to utilize such ability. What optical disorders have shown to the above-mentioned impressionist painters, however, are perhaps inspirations which the artists utilized in order to fine tune their works, the launching pads for some of their finest works, and motivated them to gravitate towards certain subject matters. With such ideas in mind it is perhaps not a surprise that Monet and Degas, both great artists in their own rights, are able to influence many artists to this day due to their unique vision—had their life been any different perhaps the outcome might have been different.

From the evidence of various medical documents and personal correspondences, the optical disorders were contributing factors in the works of Monet and Degas: their chosen mediums and colours schemes were influenced by their ocular conditions. The disorders, once combined with the painters' talents, produced the masterpieces that we have celebrated. In turn, ignoring the contribution of the artists' disorders would prove to be a limiting experience, as one would not be able to detect the peculiar muse at work.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ackerman, Diane. A Natural History of the Senses. New York: Vintage, 1990.

Clay, Jean, ed. Impressionism. Secaucus: Chartwell, 1973.

Larson, Dean M. Studying with the Masters. New York: Watson-Guptill, 1986.

Marmor, Michael F., and James G. Ravin. The Eye of the Artis. St. Louis: Mosby-Year, 1997.

Pioch, Nicolas. Home page. 26 March 2009 < http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/>

Trevor-Roper, Patrick. The World Through Blunted Sight. London: Penguin, 1988.

Playlist of the Moment: Classical

2009-07-04T19:10:00.001-07:00

Hi...would it be okay to say that I don't feel like blogging lately? All is well: there is just a lot on my mind right now, a lot things to think and sort through. And if I can't do it well then I don't want to churn out impassionate opinions. Right now my earphone is hooked onto Gerald Finzi's "Eclogue for Piano and Strings", which is quite a British pastoral gem to say the least. Hope all is well at your end, too.

Video Source: YouTube

Playlist of the Moment: Chanson

2009-06-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

Voilà, peut-être la plus belle version de "La Vie En Rose". C'est chanteuse allemande Ute Lamper avec Bruno Fontaine au piano. Bravo! (Merci RuTube pour la vidéo.)

What PR Specialists Must Be Thinking

2009-05-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

I can only speculate what marketing specialists say to themselves when they have to push yet another derivative scent out of the door in the name of fiscal responsibility. Honestly I don't mind (who am I to judge?) but I wish people can own up to it. Sigh.

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Oh, Another Milestone

2009-05-27T21:35:00.000-07:00

Les Tuileries had its 10,000th visitor on the day of its second anniversary so thanks everyone!

Source: Template by someecards and text by AlbertCAN

Happy Birthday, Les Tuileries!

2009-05-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

An advance quasi-birthday card is issued today because, well, I may not be able to blog tomorrow due to prior commitment. Still, (almost) two years ago on May 25 I posted my first entry with a greeting--little would I know that I would still be around after, still geekily typing away...

I wish I have some grand, eloquent speech tucked away, readily available for this occasion, but honestly I don't. As I have maintained on various occasions, I have no grand aspiration when it comes to blogging, no hiddden career aspiration associated with this particular blog: I just want a corner to explore some ideas that interest me and perhaps even work out somethings along the way. Well, I'm glad I did.

So along the very same spirit of working out some ideas on the Internet I would like to just blurt out some interesting ideas I've asked myself along the way:

Why Les Tuileries?

'Tis probably one of the most persistent questions I've asked myself over the years. Actually, the name wasn't my first choice: I was going for "Malmaison" (you know, after Château de Malmaison with a more obvious aromatic reference) but that name wasn't available. So in a fit of anxiety I remember how much I admire the Jardin des Tuileries and, of course, the Musée de l'Orangerie des Tuileries (most notably its Grecian architecture and of course, the Monet paintings). As a result I got a blog--who knows, maybe some variant of my first choice might be available...but I'm getting a bit lazy so it might be too much work.

What do you enjoy the most about blogging?

Writing, the sheer pleasure of forming ideas and passionately advocating a stance.

What is your greatest misgiving about blogging?

Oh, not being able to write more fragrance reviews, or not being able to stay on topic for that matter.

What isn't there a comment section?

Because unfortunately I don't have enough time to visit this blog on a regular basis (yes, even visiting this blog can be a problem for me--about a few weeks ago I even had problem logging onto Blogger.com). So since I don't want to make anyone feel left out I disabled the feature. But if any of my readers feel strongly enough about, well, anything associated with this blog please drop me a line via e-mail (aromatization at consultant dot com).

What are some of the most enjoyable posts to you?

Since Les Tuileries has so many features I'm just going to break things down by sections.

This might be a surprise, but the 2007 Coco Mademoiselle campaign review is one of the memorable ones. The fact that I was able to honestly praise the overall campaign a few weeks before the death of Jacques Helleu was a nice experience--I doubt he was aware of this blog but I was quite honest when praising the idea for what it is worth.

And then there's the 2007 and the 2008 retrospectives, both of which I treasure for different reasons: the 2007 for its sheer brutal honesty, and the 2008 piece for being a part of the larger whole. If someone had told me that I would have been invited to participate in such initiatives when I started blogging I would not believe it, for my taste in things are simply beyond quirky at times.

As for fragrance reviews...now that's a working in progress! But I would like to think that I've written some pleasant ones--the one on Hermès Kelly Calèche Parfum and Chanel No. 5 Eau Première, perhaps. But I would like to write better fragrance reviews to be honest.

My favorite features? Playlist of the moment and perfumery satire. Love to compose them because I was an aspiring classical pianist, and when the plan couldn't come true I became a satirical writer (bordering on being a comedian but my jokes were bizarre at best).

Last but not least there were the scoops, like Vanille Galante and a number of other posts, but this is not my priority so I take them as they come.

My biggest regret? No having enough time. Really.

What allowed Les Tuileries to last all these years?

One word: Helg. Honestly I wouldn't have imagined myself blogging without Perfume Shrine in the first place--and the fact that she has the common sense to remind me to reactivate my blog almost a year ago made a huge difference.

And of course, there are the fellow bloggers who inspire me to tackle ideas in different perspectives: I can't possibly thank everyone here but they know who they are--I think I makes it very clear how much I value people for being who they are.

(End of the questions)

So on this note, once and for all: thank you and, as usual, we'll catch up some other time.

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Playlist of the Moment: Classical

2009-05-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

Has it been this long since I last made a post on perfumery? My sincere apology...but I need to dream about perfumery with a little music here and there: and today I'm reliving one of my treasured recordings of César Franck's Sonata for violin and piano in A major--featuring Romantic superstar Radu Lupu and South Korean concert violinist Kyung Wha Chung. (The term "Romantic", by the way, denotes a specific period in classical music--not the ambiance portrayed by romance-conscious weaklings.) I know what I am doing can be considered a sacrilege but I'm going to ignore the piece's cyclical thematic structure, melodic interaction between movements and skip right to the brilliant final fourth movement, section that features the brilliantly challenging rounds between violin and piano. And what a finish--ravishingly menancing for many pianists to be sure, not mentioning all the tight ropes that the performers have to negotiate along the way...

Enjoy!

Playlist of the Moment: Indie/Pop

2009-05-20T09:20:00.001-07:00

Okay, I'll drop the pretension: I listen to pop music. And while I don't necessarily prefer listening to hit du jour here are some of the tracks I'm listening to...

Ultra Orange and Emmanuelle - Sing Sing
Uploaded by eusebiu - See more comedy videos.

So glad Coldplay set lyrics to "Life in Technicolor": the instrumentation version is one of my favourite tracks from them.

Still not sure how I feel about the latest U2 album but this single is pretty okay.

And I still like Sarah Harmer's "Almost" even though it has been a few years. (Oh my fellow Canadians, Sarah is awesome, isn't it?)

Sarah Harmer - Almost
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Enjoy!

Playlist of the Moment: Classical

2009-05-17T00:20:00.000-07:00

To me the late Romanian concert pianist Dinu Lipatti is still perhaps the pinnacle of interpretational elegance, and his premature death due to Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1950 was perhaps the greatest tragedy in classical music. Without extensively delving into his educational pedigree (he studied with, among many others, Nadia Boulanger, Alfred Cortot; the famed Romanian violinist and composer George Enescu was his godfather) Lipatti's recordings, though a bit dated in technology, still manage to inpart so many subtle nuances and minute phrasing adjustments that I jaw inevitably drops everytime I listen to his interpretations very carefully. Imagine what the man could have done if he was allowed to further mature, much like his comtemporaries such as Arthur Rubinstein and Vladimir Horowitz...

Lipatti didn't make many recordings, but nearly all of which are considered benchmark performances. For instance, his recording of the Chopin waltzes, performed in his own sequence, is especially legendary and ingeneous: instead of opening with the flashy valses brillantes Lipatti ends the program with them, carefully building the climax instead of merely perfoming the compositions in chronological order. (Hey, I used to play the third waltz when I was 14! Not as good as Lipatti, of course.) So without further ado here's that famous Lipatti sequence in its entirety (many thanks to marcbarbu for the following videos).

And I want to continue the post with some of the lesser known recordings, such as "Alborada del gracioso" by Maurice Ravel (from the Miroirs suite)...

The deceptively simple yet elegant Sarabande from J. S. Bach's Partita No. 1, BWV 825 (4th movement)...

And the concluding sixth movement--the Gigue--from the some composition.

Last but not least: Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58 (1844), recorded in 1947.

Enjoy!

As Promised: A Conversation

2009-05-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Robin from Now Smell This for making this post possible

I've promised Mr. Stephen Weller, Director of Communications for IFRA, the following post but promptly forgot about it due to various reasons. (Wanting to elaborate on the situation in a more intelligent fashion is one of the reasons, although to be honest I still need to learn more about the complexity of the situation.) Anyhow, here is transcript--for more information please refer to the original NST post here.

The whole affair started with Dr. Luca Turin's April entry for Duftnote ("No Benefit"):

Perfumery, a hundred-year-old art, has taken a long time dying, but on January 1, 2010 it will be officially dead. On that date, amendment 43 by IFRA, the international fragrance association, will take effect, and all perfumes on the market, old, young, fine fragrance or shampoo, must follow its guidelines or be in breach of the law in the EU. Among the many disasters that will befall fine fragrance, let me pick an emblematic one: oakmoss. This material is essential to perfumery and especially to the chypre category, including Mitsouko and hundreds of others. From 2010 it will be replaced by things which do not smell like oakmoss.

(Helg has presented the counter-argument so I won't elaborate further.)

Anyhow, after a spirited discussion on NST Mr. Weller (using Sweller as his NST ID) made the following comments on April 7, 2009:

I must begin by declaring my interest. I am the Director of Communications for IFRA. I have read this thread with interest and am delighted to see so many passionate people up in arms about the reduction in the perfumer’s pallette. We too at IFRA are not pleased that this pallette is shrinking. I feel it is important to explain the role of IFRA and its motivation. We care about fragrances. We love fragrances, both from an aesthetic and scientific point of view. IFRA was set up to defend the fragrance industry from unscientific regulation and to ensure that customers of fragrance compounds could use them confident in the knowledge that they would be safe for consumers.

IFRA Standards are global and our members represent approximately 90% of the global volume of fragrance compounds. Our membership consists of both large, medium and small companies. They use both natural and synthetic materials. Our aim is to ensure that the industry stays ahead of the regulatory curve. That we have the best science and are in the best position to defend our materials. Whether we like it or not fragrance is the second most popular allergen. However, the instances are declining thanks to the industry’s responsible behaviour in banning or restricting materials of concern. This trend must continue if the industry is to have a future.

It is true that our Standards can seem onerous and overly restrictive. However, if the fragrance industry did not take the lead and act responsibly by either banning or restricting materials of concern we would certainly be in a much worse position. The IFRA Code of Practice and system of Standards and the new Compliance Program go a long way to ensure that we are listened to by regulators around the world and that our Standards are included in official regulations for both fragrance materials, cosmetics and household products.

There are people in activist groups and positions of political influence who think that we do not need fragrance. That fragrance is an unneccessary ingredient in products and if there is any hint of a risk to people or the environment then all fragrances should be banned. Thanks to the Precautionary Principle, this approach has a legal framework in Europe and the US. It means in essence that if you cannot prove 100% that something is safe, then it should be banned. Fortunately for the fragrance industry they had the foresight to set up the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) in the 1960’s to carry out risk assessments for fragrance materials. Then in the 1970s they set up IFRA to implement the risk management via the IFRA Standards. For nearly 50 years the fragrance industry has been defending the perfumer’s pallette and ensuring the safe use of fragrance. We will continue to defend our industry based on sound science. It is a difficult battle and there are always tough choices that have to be made. As an example of what we face the EU Toys Directive, voted into law before Christmas, banned 13 of the list of 26 allergens from toys for purely political reasons. There is no scientific basis what-so-ever. Could it have been politics? Perhaps they wanted to be seen to be protecting the children of Europe before Christmas and the upcoming elections? I will leave it to you to decide. We don’t always win the battles, but we always fight them. To finish I would just like to point out that LaurieE is correct in his earlier posts regarding the purity.

As a result I made the following reply to Mr. Weller on April 8, 2009:

Thanks you very much Sweller

I very much appreciate the time and effort you have spent on addressing many people’s concerns, and I, along with everyone here at NST, share you and your colleagues’ passion for olfactory excellence. It is based on this mutual dedication that has led all of us to discuss and to care about this subject in this first place.

Please allow me to state my interest on this subject matter. Aside from being a long-time reader of NST I had also been a senior fragrance marketing consultant for several international brands, although under explicit contractual obligations I am not in a position to reveal my former clients. My tenure with those firms ended before the current wave IFRA regulations were formally initiated and currently I am the owner of the lifestyle blog Les Tuileries and a contributor of the fragrance blog Perfume Shrine. Thus as you can see my primary interest, first and foremost, is to learn, to ask questions and to understand all stakeholders’ positions on this issue. That is why I have not written any formal piece on this topic for any site but instead raising pertinent issues and voicing my concerns to the best of my ability. After all I believe this is the only way how, under the spirit of wholehearted communication and dialogue, we can all continue supporting this multi-faceted industry.

As I was mentioning several posts ago I am keenly aware of some environmentalists’ stance on the allergens, sensitizers associated with various fragrances—and you are right that those people are actively trying to lobby the appropriate officials and to alter the regulations in their favor. With this in mind it is even more pertinent for the IFRA to ensure that its position is better understood, else Dr. Turin’s position above, as eloquent and well-composed as it is, shall be more persuasive than your organization.

Let me be honest here: I am less than comfortable with the statement “Perfumery, a hundred-year-old art, has taken a long time dying, but on January 1, 2010 it will be officially dead”, nor I think it will be the case. After all, some of the greatest artistic triumphs in history have been created in the midst of various regulatory, economic, sociological, and even artistic restrictions—so why not perfumery this time around? However, as you can see from this blog post we the public needs to have a solid access to user-friendly communication channels and information, and based on my observation several initiatives, though by no mean conclusive, can perhaps further achieve such objective:

1. The IFRA e-mail contact form, as thorough as it is, is not really open to the public, for one must be affiliated with a company in order to submit a message. And since many people may not have the time to reach the IFRA through other means it would be greatly appreciated if the IFRA can allow the public to contact the organization electronically. (If the IFRA prefers the public to reach the organization via regular mail or phone please let us know which specific department one should contact.)

2. A thorough, public-oriented FAQ section must be created and regularly updated on the IFRA website, timely addressing the public’s common concerns. If I dare say the post you are reading represents some of the pertinent questions that the public has been asking for years.

3. Continue doing what you and your colleagues are doing—comprehending and actively addressing people’s concerns. I can assure you it will do wonders to the discussion.

In all, thank you for allowing me to learn further on this subject and to express my concerns on this matter. I wish you all the best.

Sincerely,

AlbertCAN

Thankfully the Director of Communications for IFRA didn't take offense in my ineloquence and made the following comments on April 9, 2009:

Dear AlbertCan,

Thanks very much for your comments. I will be perfectly happy for you to copy my post onto your blog. I would also like you to know that we will have a brand new website sometime in June, which I feel sure will address your concerns. It will be much more informative and interactive and will also include a blog function. I look forward to continuing dialogue in the blogosphere.

Stephen.

Thus here was my reply on the same day:

Thank you very much for your kindness. I absolutely look forward to the brand new website because there’s nothing more effective at addressing the public’s concerns than comprehensive, readily available information on this subject. In all, I wish you and your colleagues the best of luck: have a great day.

I'll have to read up on Mr. Weller's response to Grain de Musc (Part 1 and Part 2) in order to express further opinions on this issue. Stay tuned.

An Unexpected Award

2009-05-16T18:30:00.000-07:00

Yours truly was truly speechless this morning upon learning from Elena V (of Perfume Shrine fame) that Les Tuileries had received the following peer-based award...

So a quick recap on the rules just in case. Upon receiving the award a blogger must

- Pass the award on to 5 other fabulous blogs in a post
- List 5 of the blogger's fabulous addictions in the post
- Copy and paste the rules and the instructions below in the post.

Instructions: Include the blogger that gave out the award and link it back to that blog. Then one needs to name and to post five additional winners (linking them to the post as well). Don't forget to notify the fellow winners, either by emailing them or leaving a comment on their sites!

So the million-dollar question: what are my addictions? (Whether they are fabulous or not is up to the readers to decide, I suppose.) Well, the answers may shock you...

1. First and foremost, I constantly look out four-leaf clovers. (No, I'm not joking.) I'm quite an absent-minded pedestrian but rarely will I give up an opporunity to examine any clover patch! And so far my effort has not left me empty-handed: my collection includes about 35 four-leaf clovers in various sizes (plus a few five-leaf clovers to boot), all tucked away in tissue paper sheets until the day I can properly frame them. In case my statement is discounted as yet another tall urban tale here's an untouched photo...

Quite often I discover these clovers on my way home so make-shift pressing kit (i.e. any decent book or agenda) will have to do, resulting in the clovers' slightly pleated look...sometimes I give them away as well, since it is believed that keep-worthy friends will stick around if a four-leaf clover is given. (Many things can describe me, but being stingy isn't one of them.)

2. I collect vintage Hermès silk ties and silk twill scarves. I use the former and collect the latter: I'll promptly frame them when I can afford my dream home. While I admit collecting Hermès silk scarves isn't a common hobby among men of my age, looking at them do give me a joyous jolt from time to time (again, not joking). Right now I don't have the time nor the space to fan them out for a proper photo shoot (that will have to wait) but I've found a photo from Hermesology that matches my Astrolgie scarf. (I was fortunate that my collection started with the rare pattern The Royal Mews in navy and creamy apricot, still by far one the most intricate pieces in my collection.)

3. Classical music. As I've mentioned in my Proust Questionnaire, I wish I could have played the piano like Arthur Rubinstein--come to think of it, my idols also include the simply fantastic András Schiff (here and also here), the iconic Dinu Lipatti (still considered a tragic loss to classical music). I also enjoy the lyrically enchanting Radu Lupu and Leif Ove Andsnes; the audaciously gallant Maurizio Pollini, Martha Argerich, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli; and the elegant Krystian Zimerman and Alfred Brendel--but they are more composition-based to me. And this is just solo piano...so yes, I'm yet another one of those aspiring piano students who have learnt the fine reality of this craft--not everyone makes it. So I am doing something else with my life--like enjoying the following benchmark recording of the first movement of Sonata No. 26 for Solo Piano and Violin, KV. 378 by Mozart, featuring--who else--the great Arthur Grumiaux on violin and the equally ravishing Clara Haskil on the piano.

4. I blend my own fragrances. They are nothing to write home about but I do consider them opportunities to have interesting dialogues with my psyche. Zen philosophies dictate that all humanitarian disciplines, be it archery or flower arrangement, ultimately reflect one's state of mind, so while my amateur olfactory exercises are rather unpresentable they do make delightful companions to me. (That's leave it at that.)

5. Hard-Boil Eggs. I'm so particular about these that I have to make them myself, and thankfully my version is quite simple: place clean eggs (no more than 1 layer) in a saucepan, thoroughly cover with room-temperature water and toss in a generious pinch of salt. Heat the saucepan in medium or high heat and bring the water to a full boil; turn the heat immeidately thereafter. Using a timer, leave the saucepan still for six minutes before taking the eggs out; rinse with cold water right away in order to stop the cooking process. Serve immediately.

By the way, in case one wonders how Jacques Helleu, the late Chanel Artistic Director, prefers to cook his soft-boil eggs: proceed as above (minus the salt and covers the saucepan with its lid) and wait until the water reaches a full boil; turn the heat off and set the timer for three minutes--cook the eggs not a second more and not a second less--serve immediately.

So here, my (arguably fabulous) addictions. Here are the fellow fabulous winners in no particular order:

- Octavian Sever Coifan's 1000fragrances for its amazingly vast amount of blogger-friendly information. As a fellow blogger sometimes I can only be amazed by his knowledge. And he's unbelievably kind, too.

- Mark, Dane, and Thomas from peredepierre for thoroughly doing what I can only dream of doing--staying on topic and fantastically sticking to reviewing fragrances. Believe me, I thought about doing what they do but, alas, I simply can't.

- Denyse Beaulieu from Grain de Musc for being so articulate on perfumery in a truly Canadian fashion--bilingual is something I dream about as a Canadian, but I must have forgotten my French dictionary at home when I went to school!

- Angela from Now Smell This for being so awesome and considerate everytime, be it writing a fragrance review or simply responding to people's comments. (It's one of my worst fears--not being able to respond to people's comments in a timely manner...a fear which, unfortunately, comes to fruition time after time. Hence I cannot enable comments here at Les Tuileries.)

- Tara Bradford from Paris Parfait for never fails to cheer me up with tastefully arranged photos and simply hilarious stories on Paris. (It helps that the musings on American politics are entertaining as well. I am a Canadian and I've learnt to respect other people's thoughts on their national affairs.)

(A honourable mention goes to Glass Petal Smoke, since I can't nominate Michelle Krell Kydd without having being able to contact her! So if someone can kindly name her a contest winner by contacting her it would make my day...)

Anyhow, that's all for now. Thanks and see you in a bit!

Bizarre Layering Challenge of the Day

2009-05-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

Today's combination is exactly what I consider as a typical weekend blend: I can never wear Serge Lutens Sa Majesté La Rose in public without raising a few eyebrows but it helps enhencing the lotus effect in Hermès Un Jardin Sur Le Nil in such a velvety way that the whole blend takes on such a luscious, creamy glow. It's as if I'm savouring a cup of freshly brewed rose tea while nibbling away at some home-made citrus shortbread cookies, just the right amount of calories to be comforting--exactly the kind of recreational activity which I prefer doing at the leisure of my humble abode.

Photo: Abstraction White Rose by Georgia O'Keeffe (Rotated Sideway), from Western Art & Architecture

Playlist of the Moment: Classical

2009-05-16T11:02:00.000-07:00

Rachmaninoff - symphony no.2 mov3
Uploaded by sandt5. - Explore more music videos.

Just one today but, oh, such a gloriously radiant one at that. Sergei Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27 (1906–07) may not be considered the epitome of late Russian Romanticism but its third movement Adagio, complete with the composer's innate breathless melodicism, is a magnificent romantic at heart. While the composition's subsequent use as a pop song muse may have strengthened the critics' opinions of the composer (search for Eric Carmen's performance of the late 70s hit "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" on YouTube and one shall see what I mean) I, for one, will be hard-pressed not to be enthralled by the end of the movement. (Believe it or not, with some astute editings I think it shall actually be a fairly good substitute for the derivative wedding music...well, maybe for the New York upper crust who can afford hiring a top-notch orchestra.) And who am I to complain when it's André Previn conducting the NHK Symphony Orchestra?

Enjoy!

Bizarre Layering Challenge of the Day

2009-05-14T20:42:00.000-07:00

I was hoping for a revelation when layering Chanel 31 rue Cambon with L'Artisan Parfumeur Dzongkha, hoping that the fruity nuance within each fragrance will yield something interesting...but all I get is an elegant, woody iris instead. Sure, a very sophisticated, barely honeyed iris with a slight but typical talc effect--but a fairly conventional iris nonetheless. So if you like a solid straight up iris be my guest: otherwise pick something else to play with.

Photo: Orris root powder from ivyrose-enchantments.co.uk

Bizarre Layering Challenge of the Day

2009-05-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

Just had the most sumptuous dinner (aka Mother's Day brunch leftover--I made French bistro classics) so a little olfactory cleansing is necessary: I enjoy the neo-aquatic spiciness of Hermès Un Jardin Après La Mousson but wanting something to counterbalance the coyness of its melon. Then I remember the fizzy ylang ylang opening of Chanel No. 5 Eau Première and voilà--out comes an elegant, buttery soft melon sorbet with a fresh green banana edge. The effervescence of the combo is just perfect, never too saccharine nor fleshy: now if I can only co-ordinate my life this easily...

Photo: Lobster, Salted and Compressed Melon, Melon Sorbet and Caviar from Road To...

Bizarre Layering Challenge of the Day

2009-05-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

For those who enjoy wearing Hermès Osmanthe Yunnan but cannot be patient with its gauzy, diaphanous development and diffusion try layering it with the notorious Robert Piaguet Bandit, whose leathery depth can surely give the Hermessence fragrance a whole new set of facets. On my skin the combo works very well, with the strangeness of Bandit peering through once in a while, cracking its chypre knuckles while its aromatic partner keeping it all in good social order. Just the right degree of scariness: the aromatic equivalent of the S/M tricks occasionally enjoyed by sexually frigid suburban housewives when their marriages are on the rocks, perhaps?

Photo: Scienceblogs

Playlist of the Moment: Classical

2009-05-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

Two Schubert piano sonatas, D. 959 and D. 960, are stuck in my head at the moment. They are too long for me to post in their entirety so I will only post a few movements interpreted by the incomparable Alfred Brendel. My favorite D. 959 first:

And the ever lovely D. 960, the last complete piano sonata Schubert wrote (that we know of, of course):

Enjoy!

Bizarre Layering Challenge of the Day

2009-05-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

Posting the marvelous photo above seems to be the only positive thing that comes out of today's layering challenge, for Cacharel Anaïs Anaïs smells very much the same when paired with 4711 Original Eau De Cologne. In fact, the orange blossom note in 4711 seems to further fortify the floral axis of the former. Simply put, this combo yields nothing new, which defeats the whole purpose of layering in the first place. Oh well.

Photo: WhiteLightYoga.com

Playlist of the Moment: Classical

2009-05-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of rediscovering Krystian Zimerman, whose interpretation of Debussy preludes I so absolutely adore that I honestly haven't listened to much else. Oh well, better late than never. (The man did, after all, win the 1975 Warsaw International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition.)

Also on my playlist is Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2 by Brahms, a piece I've been playing since I was 16. I am still not getting the essence of it, however, so here's Nikolai Lugansky interpreting the piece...

Last but not least I am listening to Schubert's Trio No. 2 in E-flat major for piano, violin, and violoncello, D. 929. We have here Trio Capuçon with Renaud Capuçon on the violin, Gautier Capuçon on the cello and Frank Braley on the piano.

Enjoy!

Bizarre Layering Challenge of the Day

2009-05-06T20:19:00.000-07:00

Had to attend a seminar on the origin of modern art (circa 1900) so I layered L'Eau d'Hiver with Creed Green Irish Tweed, both of which have a bitter, grayish patina. Initially I wanted to wear just one but L'Eau d'Hiver was too dark for my mood today, and Green Irish Tweed was a tad too bright. Today's layering challenge gave me exactly what I was looking for: an assertive, serious cologne with the right degree of provocation, initially easy on the senses but with just the right rooty edge. A jaw-dropping second whiff I suppose.

Photo: The secession building at Vienna, built in 1897 by Joseph Maria Olbrich for exhibitions of the secession group, from Wiki

Train de Nuit: New Chanel No. 5 Film

2009-05-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

The first Chanel film in 6 years that resonates with me. I especially appreciate the minimal use of music in the 2'20" version, which brings out so much nuance in the mise-en-scène. Now I can see why years ago Karl Lagerfeld insisted on hiring Jean-Pierre Jeunet.

For more information on the newest film please refer to the storyboard and the preview.

Video Source: YouTube, uploaded by ROPtv

Bizarre Layering Challenge of the Day

2009-05-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

Had an enormous craving for fresh figs so I tried to layer Hermès Un Jardin en Méditerranée with Premier Figuier by L'Artisan Parfumeur, hoping to catch a whiff of the sappy juiciness. Well, I got what I wished for but I ended up smelling like a gigantic fruit salade in the process! And given that both fragrances have a distinct smell of figs I have no idea why I'm layering them in the first place. There, sometimes too much of a good thing...

Photo: TallCloverFarm.com

Playlist of the Moment: Jazz

2009-05-02T15:35:00.000-07:00

Frankly my taste in jazz is more on the classic side, but regardless here are the tracks that are stuck on my iPod at the moment...

I cannot stand botched interpretations of Clair de Lune so I'm so relieved that this jazz version is generally faithful to the assigned tempo (well, at least at the beginning)...

And let's conclude this post with a song Dave Brubeck dedicated to Audrey Hepburn...it is said that the actress would hum the tune occasionally when she was gardening, one of her favourite recreational activities.

Enjoy!

Playlist of the Moment: R'n'B

2009-05-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

Describing my musical taste as diverse is an understatement: if you tell me 10 years ago that I would listen to R&B daily the concert pianist within me shall pass out, but here I am, appreciating this genre for what its worth!

I prefer my R'n'B with thought-provoking lyrics, so please listen carefully for the ideas behind the following songs. (Who says this genre is about clichés?)

I don't think Serena Ryder has an official video for her song "Sing Sing" so the following YouTube video will have to do...

And last but not least, Buck 65 performing "Blood Of A Young Wolf". Buck 65 (a.k.a. Rich Terfry) is perhaps one of the coolest CBC Radio 2 hosts around: I was initially horrified that a rapper would be hosting a CBC show but, man, he is awesome.

Enjoy!

Playlist of the Moment: The Alternatives

2009-05-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

If I could use one word to describe how I'm doing snafu would be the perfect choice, but enough already because I'm here to share what's on my playlist lately. Because I sample so many genres on a daily basis I'm going to start with the alternative folk rock category, which is getting a bit of a revival IMHO lately.

Okay, I know this song is a bit old (circa 2006) but I'm tossing it in because I like the song so much that it's stuck in my head after all these years...

Enjoy!

A May Day Postcard

2009-05-01T20:51:00.001-07:00

No, do not adjust your computer screen: the photo above is the best way I can describe the fresh smell of lilac from my yard, complete with its creamy, spicy flamboyance. Yes, yours truly is returning from his latest aromatic expedition and has gathered some postcards from this corner of the world for your May Day pleasure.

To be frank I'm about a week or two late when it comes to appreciating cherry blossoms: the pink snow explodes for mere weeks each year before the blooms' slightly bitter, almond-like aroma is replaced by the potent scents of peonies and roses. But while we are between phases let's appreciate what we have for all its worth.

I have not encountered anyone who is audacious enough to sell bottled Canadian fresh air, but for what it is worth I may start hoarding a few jars just in case, for the sun-drenched crispness is hard to beat.

And what's a British Columbian park without First Nations references?

Happy May Day!

All photos by AlbertCAN

Bizarre Layering Challenge of the Day

2009-04-28T08:06:00.001-07:00

Last night yours truly lost it and started layering fragrances. He pulled out his copy of Hiris (1999), gave it a hearty spritz, and then sprinkled a few drops of Aldehyde C-14 on his skin. Long and behold, a passable Iris Gris substitute. Sure, Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist (1994) will probably work better, but since I have traded my monthly perfumery budget for a Pelikan ballpoint pen I am not complaining one bit.

Much to my surprise the scent is still going strong after 10 hours. Hmm, this one is a keeper.

Photo: The Seine flowing through central Paris, as seen from the Pont Royal

Humbly Presenting the Chanel No. 5 Movie Storyboard

2009-04-18T23:28:00.000-07:00

As many of you would probably know by now I should have been reporting more frequently on many, many other topics. (Since I have offered a sneak preview of the latest Chanel No. 5 movie already.) But Hello Canada has just posted the storyboard so I might as well offer yet another preview.

Jeunet said Chanel's brief consisted of only three words: mystère, frisson, émotion. Judging by the storyboard below he did a fairly good job at meeting the ideals while maintaining his cinematic vision...

Once again, the film stars French actress Audrey Tautou and British model Travis Davenport and takes place on the Orient Express, en route from Paris to Istanbul.

The adventure begins as the heroine dashes towards the station to catch her train

She runs along the platform with seconds to spare before her life-changing journey begins

The camera focuses in the train, poised to set off

The guard's whistle means it's time to go

On board the train she passes a handsome stranger who's captivated by her scent

Later, unable to sleep, he is drawn by her perfume to the door of her cabin where he lingers a while...

The train continues on its journey across Europe through the night

As Audrey sleeps the light through her perfume bottle flickers on the wall

Perhaps she's dreaming of the handsome stranger?

On arrival in Istanbul the heroine captures a local scene on film

But look who shows up in the picture?

She arrives back at the station and her mystery man follows

Will this be the moment they finally meet?

For more information on the campaign please refer to my previous post on this topic. Once again the film will debut on May 5, 2009, 88 years after the launch of the iconic fragrance.

Photo and Storyboard: Hello Canada

Chanel Cristalle Eau Verte (2009): Fragrance Review

2009-03-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

While yours truly has been a strong advocate of the psychological principles by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (1875 – 1961), I have always had trouble with the man's theory of synchronicity--somehow the idea of unrelated events unfolding in an entirely meaningful manner seems like a gigantic cosmic joke to me in practice. After all, why need a fancy word to explain luck, or even shades of it? But I honestly might just change my mind after sampling Chanel Cristalle Eau Verte a few minutes ago, for the whole discovery process consisted of a series of seemingly unrelated events.

It all started this afternoon when I visited my local Canadian bank and was duly notified by my teller that, for some strange accounting reasons, I actually had a credit balance in my MasterCard account. Translation: I overpaid my statement and I couldn't withdraw a cent of my money in return. (While the amount is nothing to boast about the extra sum is enough to acquire several bottles of Guerlain Shalimar.) Knowing how strange the situation might be the teller encouraged me to talk to institution that issued the credit card, a well-known Canadian department store. Well, the situation actually got even more peculiar thirty minutes after when I arrived at the retail chain: according to the customer service representative I would be charged a hefty 19% interest if I choose to withdraw the sum out of my credit card. I would be, in short, asking the department store if I could kindly lend my own money. I was instead asked to do my part of economy stimulation and shop to my heart's delight, a kind of spectacular recreational activity that I had too much of in the first place so I respectfully turned down the offer.

And just when I was about to leave the store with puzzlement I noticed an addition to the Chanel concession stand. That's when I noticed the bottle I read about this morning...Robin from Now Smell This divulged the specifics of the latest offering by Chanel and I was right in front of it a few hours later. Talk about synchronicity.

I am, of course, familiar with the original Chanel Cristalle, the 1974 eau de toilette creation by Henri Robert. I had used it for years, fascinated by its bitter verdant edge. The tangy classic, first and foremost, isn't just an eau de cologne: I consider it to be a laid-back sibling of Chanel No. 19 (1971), easy-going enough to be used by men such as Chris Noth (he had been, at least). The eau de parfum, of course, was respectfully composed in 1993 by Jacques Polge and was enriched with elements such as peach, although I hadn't had that much luck with it in comparison.

So the million dollar question--how does the new edition stack up against the original? Quite well, actually. In fact, I actually think this is an improvement on the finicky Chanel Bel Respiro (2008), whose persistence has been an issue to some people. I did a double take upon sampling the opening of Cristalle Eau Verte--it share a certain clean aesthetics with Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere (2008) but eventually settles into a refreshing magnolia accord, complete with its slightly earthy nuance. (One caveat is pertinent in case you want to sample it: to me its opening is a bit on the soapy side, but such effect will evaporate during the development process.)

Something tells me the magnolia accord featured in Cristalle Eau Verte isn't headspace, but a carefully created interpretation of Magnolia grandiflora. Of course, don't expect the lush flora found in L'Instant de Guerlain (2003) or even Chanel Allure (1996): this is, to me, how peridot should smell like upon being bathed in moonlight, almost like lemon dipped in liquid platinum--delicate, nuanced.

The original honeysuckle accord is still largely present, complete with (at least to my nose) the lemon and the verdant facets (the petitgrain and the basil are still arguably there)--what we have now, on the other hand, is a very sheer, glowing amber nuance as the scent progresses into the base notes. The drydown of Cristalle Eau Verte isn't as assertive as the original eau de toilette. For instance, I notice the original narcissus element, known for its slightly tobacco-like effect, is not prominent--if not present at all in the newest offering.

So Cristalle Eau Verte, simply put, is different enough from the original eau de toilette temperament wise but posses a fine sillage and a competent longevity. Lovely on a lady and gentle enough for the gent. Recommended. (Maybe a flanker for my beloved Chanel No. 19 is not far ahead as well, perhaps?)

Chanel Cristalle Eau Verte is available in 100mL eau de toilette edition and shall be available in most Chanel point of sales. For more information on the original Chanel Cristalle editions, including the eau de toilette and the eau de parfum, please refer to Victoria's review from Bois de Jasmin. A special thank goes to Helg from Perfume Shrine for informing the launch first.

Pictures: Diepress.com, Google

From Jean Renoir to Jean-Pierre Jeunet: Latest Chanel No. 5 Movie Preview

2009-03-20T22:27:00.001-07:00

Hello...it's hard to imagine a small word can carry such a nuance, but a warn greeting to all of you after a very long hiatus. And no, I have not given up on blogging--life has simply been too generous and fills my plate with morsels after morsels of delicious duties. To be fair I have been keeping up on all the actions that have been swirling around the world--then again rest to be assured that it is expected of me, which brings me to the reason why I'm interrupting my electronic hibernation. Yes, details of the upcoming Chanel No. 5, starring Audrey Tautou and directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, is starting to float around the Internet as we speak.

Now I am not going to waste everyone's time by repeating the details of the upcoming production: the ever-lovely Marie-Helene Wagner can report the news more eloquently than I can imagine. What fascinates me instead is the gentle continuation of the French cinema, how the heritage of the square bottle has given a new spin.

Many have pointed out the Gallic charm of Mademoiselle Tautou and how ravishingly cute she can be in Amélie (2001). Surely such was my initial thoughts before watching the movie back in December 2004: I was a decidedly a different person after, however. Tautou made Amélie Poulain such a believable quirk, an outcast who everyone can identify with--and by the time the movie ended I was weeping by eyes out, with equal parts of joyful and sorrow tears. Sure, many talked about how director Jean-Pierre Jeunet created a star-making vehicle for Tautou, but many under-estimated how subtle Tautou's acting chop was: all the humorous bits of eccentricity could have been quite distracting unless the female lead had the wit to pull it all together under a great overarching range.

Did I see a perfect movie, complete with a perfect lead character? Definately not. Amélie, no different from everyone else around her, is flawed in ways which humanity can only glow. Flawed in ways that most Hollywood films won't even have the courage to even imitate, I have since then believed that Jeunet has made a film that the French humanist director Jean Renoir (1894 – 1979) would have been proud of, and that it is this little imperfection that the perfumery business can use a bit of.

Now, I have no intention to comment on the state of fragrance advertising, for the world can only function if people are allowed to make their own rational decisions. But to me the idea of utilizing perfumery advertising as a way to educate the audience how to live is long gone: maybe on how to dream a bit easier but nobody has the time to be talked down to. And somehow showing godess-esque beings twirling around an immaculate setting is not the way to connect with the audience anymore. (Oh, upon looking at such ravishing ads one can almost see the invisible syrupy hearts, waiting to be dispersed on the set--not everyone's cup of tea no watter how often the marketing specialists insist.) So after watching the movie I was hypothesizing a different future: not the glammed-up, dolled-up, hyped-up glitz and glamour, but an equally ravishing choreography of human emotions. Of course, the genre of fragrance marketing calls for only a relatively small spectrum of human psychology--let's never depress the audience (even when one is selling beer)--but something that makes people walk a bit more brisk is a must if one wants to stand out from a sea of artificiality, perhaps?

So perhaps you could understand how surprised I was when Jeunet was chosen to direct the latest film.

Well, while I, like the majority of the world, have not seen the latest Chanel No. 5 film yet (surely I can only report back after May 5, 2009, the film's debut) but I see the project perhaps as a shift in fragrance advertising. Sure, the setting is still as aspirational as ever (the Orient Express and Billie Holiday's "I'm A Fool To Want You", below, thankfully haven't lost their aura), but what we have here is a relatively stripped down Tautou compared to her more recent predecessor--less makeup, less haute couture, less frou frou--hopefully she can use the extra breathing space to reflect something from within, something that makes up genuinely care again. Actually, I don't even mind if an adage manages to be recycled--let's hope that the film can capture the essence of cinema, to touch us again (even if it is just the majority of us). After all, the opposite of love is not hate but apathy.

By the way, I don't think a few things are done intentionally but I'm glad some aspects of Krzysztof Kieślowski (1941 – 1996) are seemingly incorporated into the plot by chance (quite in vein of Kieślowski's style if I have a say). For instance, I was rather intrigued upon reading that, in a part of the up-coming film, Tautou's character misses the riverboat her love interest is on, only to photograph him on deck from another ship later (pictured below):

And fate keeps them apart until the end...right away I am reminded of the ending of my favorite film, Kieślowski's "Trois couleurs: Rouge" (1994), and how fate weaves into the whole scheme of it all as well (surely the new film has a less grusome context!) And fear not--the ending won't give away essentially anything profound if separated from the rest of the story:

I may be just going off tangent, or maybe I'm just thinking about Un long dimanche de fiançailles (2004), but at least it is promising. Then again, I'm realistic--the campaign is not targeted towards me (I don't dream of becoming a part of Chanel No. 5's demographics) but I do hope there's a genuine story behind it all, a tale to tell. We do know how it will end...

Here's to hoping that an enjoyable ride lies ahead.

Videos: YouTube

Photos: fashionology, ShopDiary

On Francesco Vezzoli's Project "Greed" (Art Musing)

2009-02-08T19:57:00.000-08:00

Now Francesco Vezzoli's fake fragrance commercial is launched (please refer to the previous post), a quick musing is in order.

I dare not provide an artistic review, for I'm sure others will be more competent to do so than me. While I suppose it's not extremely cutting edge, I'm saddened from a business management point of view, for it's actually better than some of the "desire building" commercials that some fragrance houses put out. Seriously.

If Ms. Portman flings across the floor at a better, more "artistic" angle, and if Ms. Williams fights in a more "edgy" style--why, this shall be a promising campaign for a (better named) fragrance. You know what? Halfway through the catfight I even, for a very brief moment, wanted a bottle of that "Greed", and I'm even not the "demographic". Same can't be, however, said about many recent "hit" fragrance commercials.

So to all the execs who believe in shelling out $20-$22 million dollars/euros on pushing a product and instead getting their hands full...maybe it's time to get real and think about why doing the same thing over and over won't produce a different result.

Film link via Now Smell This

This I Can't Even Explain

2009-01-17T21:43:00.000-08:00

Template: someecards.com

A Whole New Level

2009-01-16T20:47:00.000-08:00

A few hours ago a very prestigious French jewelry house just elevated my understanding of French snobbery into a whole new level. I was at the boutique and casually asked for a ring and was told that, due to my "large" ring finger [sic], my ring would have to be customized. And, depending on the design, the New York headquarters might not grant my wish. (I would have been more understanding had the sales associate could stop talking with such a condescending tone. I must have inconvinienced her.)

My ring finger is too fat? That's a first. I've never had such problem before at other comparable jewelry brands. Just to show that you never know. By the way, if any of you is interested in buying me a nice, everyday ring my size is 10.5, or roughly size 64 if you want to get me anything from that French jewelry firm: apparantly the largest "normal" size would have been 63 so I was one size too big. Gracious, I must start a new diet! (Whatever :-p)

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An Unofficial Anthem for This Blog? Worth a Thought

2009-01-16T00:40:00.000-08:00

Man, the beginning of 2009 is shaping up to be a very interesting one. (And no, I'm not referring to the spirited discussion on Guerlain's newest release.) For the last two weeks I've been bombarded by a myriad of personal projects, work-related projects and various other duties that I just ended up not having a chance to update this blog until, well, right now!

Still, I want to begin this year by poking fun of how I write...as some of you may know this blog runs madly in all directions: I suppose perfumery is a pretext for me to venture into various interesting subjects. While I do try my best I am not going to ever pretend that Les Tuileries is a decree from the great beyond. So let's begin the year by selecting an unofficial anthem that, well, cannot be sung...

I have here a version of Pachabel's Canon arranged by the LAGQ: please check out the YouTube clip above...Doesn't it remind one how this blog unfolds? Eclectic is a nice way of putting things. (I dare not describe my blog beyond thinly veiled euphemism...BTW have you noticed that this blog entry has absolutely nothing to do with perfumery--yet again???)

So there, my first crack of the 2009 entries. Ha!

Video: "LAGQ Live!: Pachelbel's 'Loose' Canon", posted by kanengiser on YouTube

Happy 2009!

2008-12-31T18:17:00.000-08:00

Here in my part of the Canada 2009 is still hours away but Les Tuileries wants to wish everyone a great year ahead! Yours truly shall debut yet another new piece either here or at The Perfume Shrine so stay tuned.

Photo: Aris Messinis / AFP - Getty Images

2008 Retrospective (Part 2): Mount Olympus

2008-12-29T20:15:00.000-08:00

The title of this retrospective is a bit more obscure compared to Part 1, which I purposely kept light-hearted. I honestly didn't want to write Part 2, for I'm going to talk about some of the dearly departed ones, people who were associated with perfumery--they need to be remembered during this time of the year.

My awkward title is actually a tribute to my idol, celebrated British piano accompanist Gerarld Moore. I remember him saying once that, upon mourning the untimely death of talented musicians, classical superstars like Jacqueline de Pré, Fritz Wunderlich, and Dennis Brain must be living comfortably with Zeus on Mount Olympus. Well, I certainly believe the following people deserve their spots on the famed locale.

Take Laurent Bruyère, for instance. I actually didn't know the young perfumer from Mane at all but his passing at 43 was a shock, especially since he composed Lucienne Eau de Parfum (2004), a really great fragrance according to Chandler Burr. I still remember what I was thinking when I read the obituary: Jeanne-Claude's voice suddenly became vivid when I was reading Marie-Helene Wagner's writing. Years ago, upon being asked why her and Christo's fame installations were never permanent, Jeanne-Claude gave the following explanation when interviewed by Eleanor Wachtel on CBC Radio back in 2005 (please excuse my incompetent paraphrase):

Many beautiful things in life, like flowers or love affairs, are not permanent. Flowers may wilt, a lover can move on or pass away--but we can cherish the time when these things are available. These installations are never permanent because Christo and I want to remind people that life is not permanent, that things can vanish. And it's the finiteness that teaches us to cherish what we have.

I don't like the cliché "lived an unfulfilled life", for I have learnt not to judge the world as an unqualified individual. Still, his passing did allow me to think about my life--he has left a number of fragrances behind, what would I do to make a difference, really?

One man certainly wouldn't need to ask such question: Yves Saint Laurent. His passing and the subsequent funeral was, of course, well-documented (yes, including the very moving speech by his long-time partner, Pierre Bergé). To be honest his funeral made this summer a really sad one: I had to call/contact my friends/colleagues and broke the news to them. (How do you tell someone that his or her hero is dead?)

I have never worked for the couturier, and the revolving politics of corporate fashion meant that I ended up knowing more people from the Tom Ford YSL Rive Gauche era than from the maestro's extended family. (To be honest when I was consulting full-time various rivalries were considered to me largely irrelevant, for the couturier was well retired then. You can't carry it all with you when you die unless you die trying.) Still, there was by then a certain awe about what he was able to achieve, as if his laurel would be assured: many could argue about future of the maison, about who could be worthy of being his true heir--but his name would never fail to generate a sense of mystery even when he was alive among certain fashion circles.

As a participant of the fragrance industry I will always remember YSL for truly introducing the idea of integrated fragrance marketing. The market is never the same thanks to YSL Opium: it's as simple as that. I think people talk about the shock value of the name, the provocation of the Coty L'Origan-inspired juice but few remember that it was done under the certain contexte--without the parameter the hype is just a gimmick. C'est tout--the name, the bottle, the launch strategy all suggest the same message...and somehow the sum delivers more than what the parts can ever suggest. (In a slightly lesser degree Paris d'Yves Saint Laurent managed to do that as well.)

Now, due to my limited experience I certainly will not pay tribute to all the departed ones who participated in the fragrance industry, but I'm not going to conclude this piece without remembering Anthony Minghella. I never really had the opportunity to formally work with the famed director, but because of a now-defunct fragrance project I had the chance to briefly know him largely by proxy. To describe Mr. Minghella as a thoughtful, team-oriented leader is a vast understatement--he had never, among many things, failed to put things into the right perspective for everyone, contantly pointing out how things could be done when conditions were less than ideal. Most importantly, he simply listened, always encouraged people in order to bring out the best in them. Years ago I remembered him talking about the value of life, the beauty beneath it all when it might appear otherwise: I was simply too wrapped up with my own drama and unfortunately, I ignored the advice. Therefore, I was shocked to find out that one of his last scripts, now under the direction of Shekhar Kapur, would be "about the value of life, and how people sometimes just throw away their lives unable to look beyond into the real beauty of it." While I am deeply convinced that I have absolutely nothing to do with the script development I just hope that I can finally get his message this time around.

Anyhow, this concludes my musing. I have been wanting to write this piece for a long time: once again here are my fellow participating bloggers:

1000 fragrances

Ars Aromatica

A Rose Beyond the Thames

Bittergrace Notes

Grain de Musc

I smell therefore I am

Notes From the Ledge

OlfactaRama

Savvy Thinker

The Non Blonde

The Perfume Shrine

Photo: A Soul Brought to Heaven by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (from Irinyi Kabinet)

2008 Retrospective (Part 1): Venturing into Interesting Directions

2008-12-27T14:05:00.001-08:00

Folks, you have Helg to thank for this post, for yours truly would have passed on the opportunity of recapping this year's perfumery market. It's not that I don't want to recount this year: quite the opposite--I feel that so much has been happening lately that it's almost too strange to comment. So much has happened...wait, marketing wise since the intricacy of the contemporary mass-market perfumery art as a whole still has plenty of room for improvement.

Please don't get me wrong: I am not writing this year off as a non-starter. Quite the opposite: I think we are witnessing the start of some very interesting trends that shall shape our industry for years to come. With this being said I wouldn't call this year a true olfactory Renaissance, either. But enough ranting for now and here are some of the notable events:

This isn't a new trend, and it can be a lovely problem to have...but I'm tossing this in just so we have a reference point in the near future. (In case it gets worse next year!)

Let's see..."The Perfect Scent" by Chandler Burr, check..."Perfume: The Guide" by Dr. Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez, check..."The Essence of Perfume" by Roja Dove...plus many more that I can't recall at the moment. Doesn't it say a great deal about how appreciative the audience can be when trying to understand this industry?

Now, the above quote by Serge Lutens is a repost but it's worth repeating. This year we have witnessed the idea of niche perfumery being thoroughly abused from time to time, as the steep price tags and the selective distribution channels become another mean for mega brands to boost sales (aka gauging). Perhaps it's quite telling when The New York Times declared the idea as thoroughly done.

Years from now, when looking back at 2008, perfumistas may identify this year as the time when perfumers dare venturing out on their own and start the trend of becoming parfumiers once and for all. Michelle Krell Kydd (creator of Glass Petal Smoke) was onto something when she discussed the effect of perfumers forming their own brands after decades of being ghost writers of derivative scented blockbusters.

On a more mundate level the development of star perfumers is quite obvious as well, as Octavian reported. Aside from being credited by the brands more frequently brands such as Guerlain, L'Artisan Parfumeur and Rochas each hired an in-house nose this year. (Although the last appointment was arguably done under the context of Proctor & Gamble, as the conglomerate owns both Rochas and Jean Patou, the latter of which still works with its in-house nose Jean-Michel Duriez even though Monsieur Duriez will now oversee the olfactory aesthetics of the Rochas creations as well. Les Tuileries has commented on the Thierry Wasser appointment already so I won't repeat myself.) This scenario, however, poses a delicate challenge. As I have commented when Octavian first summed up the trend:

It should've been done a long time ago IMHO. I think the reason why we don't have "parfumiers" (like couturiers) is really because the PR specialists have been so hyper-sensitive about fragrance formulas...you know, scents should appear magically out of nowhere, made by magical beings with a wand or something. Too bad, for I feel that many PR specialists are scared by the chemicals and the long IUPAC names...and it doesn't have to be that way. This isn't a black and white world so natural doesn't automatically equal to greatness...

Oh well, I think we still have a long way to go--firstly, [many] noses need to learn the right PR skills. You see, PR isn't marketing or even applied selling (so there's no need to resist learning PR skills). PR is about how to present the ideas across effectively so the noses can properly communicate with the media and the other stakeholders. Don't get me wrong, I respect artists--I like strong people with solid paradigms--I just don't like it when people need to bluff their ways through an interview (sometimes against their wills)...there are ways to get a message across without resorting to rhetorical flourishes.

So we'll see, at least it's a start.

Suffice to say the recent global downturn and its effects are keenly felt in the retail sector as we speak and Helg has thoroughly discussed the issue. Still, now we hear luxury brand cutting prices and Chanel went as far as cancelling it's Mobile Art Exhibitions in order to refocus on R&D. Perhaps Nicolas Ghesquière was onto something when Balenciaga announced that its upcoming fragrance won't be released until 2010, thereby potentially avoiding facing the weak cosmetic markets altogether.

Anyhow, here are the news makers of 2008...

Most Controversial: Hermès Un Jardin Après La Mousson

Les Tuileries has given it a favourable review, but Chandler Burr didn't think so (at all). Helg's complex review was generally favourable but she had her caveats. (Dr. Luca Turin gave it four out of five stars if I am not mistaken.) So there you go: your call in the end.

Most Inexplicable: Serge Lutens Serge Noire

Yours truly sampled this olfactory oeuvre when it first came out after reading some terrific reviews. I should have liked it: helichrysum is one of my favourite ingredients to work with and I have longed looked for an incense fragrance which I can wear. But I'm afraid I'm on Kevin's side in this regard: as much as I appreciate a good story it doesn't do much for me.

Best Rendition: Chanel No. 5 Eau Première

Technically it was launched last year but the cap recall allows it to be re-introduced this year. Les Tuileries reviewed this scent already so I won't waste your time.

Best New Parfum & Packaging: Hermès Kelly Calèche Parfum

Best New Feminine Fragrance: Guerlain Insolence Eau de Parfum

To be quite honest I'm pleasantly surprised: I have (like many) written off the Insolence franchaise altogether.

Best New Masculine Fragrance: Catier Roadster

I don't think I can offer anything new on this subject so here's Mike Perez's review from The Perfume Shrine.

Best New Masculine Fragrance Packaging: Guerlain Homme

Most Interesting Niche Fragrance: Frédéric Malle Dans Tes Bras

Glass Petal Smoke offers a really good review so I won't rehash existing information.

Best Fragrance Advertising: (None, unfortunately IMHO)

We witnessed a number of high-quality ads in 2007 and unfortunately it didn't happen again this year (or maybe my standard is simply too high). Sure, I could just pick the best among them, but what's the point of settling? A honourable mention, however, goes to Prada's latest fragrance film for it's retro blend of fashion and psychology.

Most Interesting Fragrance Scoops: Hermès Vanille Galante and Serge Lutens Nuit de Cellophane (via Grain de musc)

So this concludes my thoughts on the 2008 fragrance market. Too see what my fellow bloggers have to say on this subject I humbly encourage you to visit the following sites:

1000 fragrances

Ars Aromatica

A Rose Beyond the Thames

Bittergrace Notes

Grain de Musc

I smell therefore I am

Notes From the Ledge

OlfactaRama

Savvy Thinker

The Non Blonde

The Perfume Shrine

Happy 2009!

Credit: Scent satire illustrations provided by someecards.com

Hmm..Celebrity Perfume Parody?

2008-12-27T14:03:00.000-08:00

A cast consisting of Natalie Portman, Michelle Williams with direction by Roman Polanski might sound like a dream fragrance commercial project from the bygone era: except it's actually a new fake fragrance commercial that aims to, well, poke fun of the whole notion of celebrity fragrance. If you think this isn't a backlash the following quote is going to change your mind:

"Francesco Vezzoli, the Italian video artist known for his lavish parodies, has a new project: a faux perfume ad starring Natalie Portman and Michelle Williams, filmed by Roman Polanski. It’ll debut in February at the Gagosian Gallery in Rome. “Lately the art world has become a place where there is a lot of effort to create desire, so I thought Greed”—the name of the scent—“was an appropriate theme,” Vezzoli says. He recruited Portman and Williams because they’re “two A-list celebrities who have never endorsed a perfume,” he explains. “Natalie plays the good girl and Michelle plays the greedy one, and they start having a catfight over the perfume. They bite each other, pull each other’s hair, throw themselves on the floor, and all of that is filmed by Polanski in his epitomizing style." (Princess Natalie)

I got the photo above from The phun.org forum: there are plenty of other photos...and those are not pretty! Ouch, some fragrance marketing execs are not going to be amused.

Fallen Shadows: Latest Fragrance Film from Prada

2008-12-27T14:01:00.001-08:00

To promote Prada Amber Miuccia is debuting the following film in the Italian cinamas: Fallen Shadows should be rolling out to the rest of the world pretty soon. All the other info you can find by looking at the credits before and after the film. The whole thing draws heavily on Carl Jung's Shadow Theory. (And obviously the film features the latest RTW collection so we have here black lace suits running in and out of the film.)

Video Source: Prada "Fallen Shadows", originally posted on YouTube by XITeabOne

Season's Greetings

2008-12-21T16:36:00.000-08:00

Have fun and please party responsibly! Template by someecards

One Scary Holiday Thought

2008-12-21T16:30:00.000-08:00

A few people told me this over the years...which to me is the worst way to ask for a present. Never again hopefully! Template by someecards.

I Disagree But...

2008-12-21T16:22:00.000-08:00

It's the only reason I can remotely justify the existence of celebrity fragrances (and I don't buy that notion altogether). Template by someecards.

Should be Pretty Obvious

2008-12-21T16:18:00.000-08:00

Text by me and template by someecards

This is Happening

2008-12-21T16:13:00.000-08:00

This is how some of the people I know shop for holiday presents. Template by someecards.

A Quote by Serge Lutens

2008-12-21T16:06:00.000-08:00

Source: Scented Salamander (template by someecards)

Just a Thought

2008-12-21T15:51:00.000-08:00

Helg raised the question when commenting about Kilian Hennessy on Octavian's post ("Kilian has beaten Tom Ford") so I couldn't resist turning that into a card. Template by someecards.

Goodness Gracious!

2008-12-05T19:03:00.000-08:00

I think the fragrance execs meant well...but the results aren't pretty. Template by someecards.

Quite Obvious, No?

2008-12-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again: someday historians will be amazed by the stupidity of this industry. Template by someecards.

Oh, Don't be Surprised

2008-12-05T10:47:00.000-08:00

Fragrance execs have sleepless nights as well, especially right before a fragrance launch. Template by someecards.

Ha! My Thought Exactly!

2008-12-05T10:38:00.000-08:00

I would love to take credit for the idea but the quote is from a former fragrance account executive. Template by someecards.

Sucker!

2008-12-05T10:29:00.000-08:00

Of course, this is happening as we speak. Template by someecards.

Oh Dear

2008-12-05T10:15:00.001-08:00

It's already happening, isn't it? Template by someecards.

Quick! To the Department Stores!

2008-12-05T10:09:00.001-08:00

Nope, I have never been a holiday person so please excuse me for being a killjoy. Template by somecards.

Separated at Birth

2008-11-27T11:15:00.000-08:00

Warning: the scene above contains violence and coarse language. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.

Well, I was watching Ma saison préférée (1993) this morning and strangely enough Daniel Auteuil's face had a different impression on me this time around...after a quick musing I realized there must had been a separation at birth.

Anyhow, I'm not into complimenting people's looks...nor am I a fan of Auteuil in Un coeur en hiver (1992) and La Doublure (2006). (Auteuil's ex-wife Emmanuelle Béart, however, was my first ever serious celebrity crush: she was the violinist in Un coeur en hiver.) Still, the following photos are amusing...Auteuil first:

Okay, Jean-Claude Ellena:

Not the most throught-provoking piece on earth but amusing nonetheless, no?

Photo: Google
Video: YouTube

Think Twice

2008-11-24T20:19:00.000-08:00

The more I am aware of fragrance marketing the more I think it's a strange animal. The truth is that truth has nothing to do with this business: sometimes lies sell more bottles. (No, the Picasso reference isn't applicable here.) My point can't be explained better than the relatively recent but persistent "Emma Watson for Chanel" rumour.

The whole situation is so well-documented that I won't even waste my energy spelling out what happened. (Surely Chanel SA's poor PR/crisis management skills are partly to blame here, although that branch of the corporation always takes on a "head in the sand" approach when in doubt. Why are then these people hired in the first place if all they can do is putting socks in their mouths?) The bottom line is that I can no longer read teen blogs and magazines without developing an inevitable twitch upon coming across uneducated thoughts like, "Emma Watson, the newest face of Coco Mademoiselle...", "The newest Coco Mademoielle spokesperson Emma just replaced...".

Please don't get me wrong here: I recognize what an excellent role model Ms. Watson can be to numerous young ladies out there, and that her achievements are by all standards quite extraordinary. I cannot stand, however, that a rumour is allowed to be persisted despite the fact that it has been formally denied--several times.

So for the record: no, Emma Watson is not the current face of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle. I wish all of you can see me when I am saying this, for I'm saying it with no wink, not even a teasing smile. Just a mild annoyance that people are allowed to spread rumours when they cannot even put a decent sentence together: get your act together, people! (And no, relying on rumours to sell a fragrance ultimately hurts this business: what if the customers panic upon hearing a false rumour? How will the PR team responds effectively to the crisis if it has been known to cry wolf???)

At least produce a more entertaining lie than what you are spinning right now. Anything.

Photo: Readingharry.com

"Pocket Symphony" (2007) by AIR: Album Review

2008-11-20T23:16:00.000-08:00

Perhaps an electronica album designed for iTune, for while many tracks offer fantastic (predominantly Japanese-inspired) guilty pleasures, a few read like the typical celebrity whining ("One Hell of a Party"? I think not!). Disclaimer aside I truly enjoy the latest offering from the French duo: "Space Maker", "Once Upon a Time" and "Mer du Japon" are regularity featured on my party music playlist and often provide just the right ambiance without stealing the thunder of the event. Moreover, tracks like "Mayfair Song" and "Night Sight" even manage to pack in that right glimmer of mysticism that remind us why people come back for AIR time after time. A thoroughly enjoyable album overall.

Sofia Coppola Spot for Miss Dior Chérie (2008): Campaign Review

2008-11-20T22:42:00.001-08:00

With several false commercials easily found on YouTube, Miss Dior Chérie is probably by far one of the most fakeable Dior marketing material out there. Sure, it's young, fun, and sssooooo Dior--so what? Many, many Dior fragrances would happily offer the same message. (What does it say about the uniqueness of the marketing strategy? I dare not go further.) Of course, it doesn't help that many fragrance bloggers await the newest spot by Sofia Coppola, the current it girl of nostalgic, campy fun (mixed with an innate sense of nonchalant, of course). While the above commercial is a bit too short for my liking, I must say that it fares much better than the saccharine previous incarnations that the Dior marketing gurus previously offered--somehow I don't even mind the raunchy, off-tune rendition of "Moi, Je Joue" by Brigitte Bardot. (I knew there was a reason why Coco Chanel detested the woman: maybe Lagerfeld was right a decade ago when he declared Dior to be the waste basket of Chanel.)

Believe it or not, I actually like the newest ad: a bit of a continuation of "Marie Antoinette" aesthetics but really intriguing nonetheless. (Wished Coppola could do something more with model Maryna Linchuk‏'s mile-long legs, however.)

Better than many current campaigns out there so hopefully we can see more to come.

Sources: Now Smell This, Scented Salamander, YouTube

Skip If You Don't Want to Know

2008-11-13T20:17:00.000-08:00

SPOILER ALERT: If you REALLY don't want to KNOW PLEASE SKIP THIS VIDEO!

Cinematic art can imitate life, but powerful films mark our lives. Lost in Translation (2003) is a fine case in point for me: I first saw the film when it came out and I watched it again and again. My life was quietly but surely falling apart...which helped me to identify with the film I suppose.

Now, I must admit that the final scene, the famous whisper, had a lot to do with my fascination with the film. Thus imagine my surprise when the "solution" was posted on YouTube! Well, watch the clip above if you want to find out what Bill Murray said.

Source: YouTube

Another Post on Canadian Music

2008-11-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

For exactly 10 years I've been stating that Loreena McKennitt's rendition of the famous poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson is bar none. McKennitt has made it into a troubadour-like song, allowing one to gain further insight into the poem by Lord Tennyson. The above YouTube clip is from her "Live in Toronto and Paris" CD. Here's the iconic poem, slightly edited here and there when converted into the lyrics:

The Lady of Shallot

On either side of the river lie
Long fields of barley and of rye,
That clothe the world and meet the sky;
And thro' the field the road run by
To many-towered Camelot;
And up and down the people go,
Gazing where the lilies blow
Round an island there below,
The island of Shalott.

Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
Little breezes dusk and shiver
Thro' the wave that runs forever
By the island in the river
Flowing down to Camelot.
Four grey walls, and four grey towers,
Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers
The Lady of Shalott.

Only reapers, reaping early,
In among the bearded barley
Hear a song that echoes cheerly
From the river winding clearly
Down to tower'd Camelot;
And by the moon the reaper weary,
Piling sheaves in uplands airy,
Listening, whispers "'tis the fairy
The Lady of Shalott."

There she weaves by night and day
A magic web with colours gay,
She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she stay
To look down to Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shalott.

But in her web she still delights
To weave the mirror's magic sights,
For often thro' the silent nights
A funeral, with plumes and with lights
And music, went to Camelot;
Or when the Moon was overhead,
Came two young lovers lately wed.
"I'm half sick of shadows," said
The Lady Of Shalott.

A bow-shot from her bower-eaves,
He rode between the barley sheaves,
The sun came dazzling thro' the leaves,
And flamed upon the brazen greaves
Of bold Sir Lancelot.
A red-cross knight for ever kneel'd
To a lady in his shield,
That sparkled on the yellow field,
Beside remote Shalott.

His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd;
On burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode;
From underneath his helmet flow'd
His coal-black curls as on he rode,
As he rode back to Camelot.
From the bank and from the river
he flashed into the crystal mirror,
"Tirra Lirra," by the river
Sang Sir Lancelot.

She left the web, she left the loom,
She made three paces thro' the room,
She saw the water-lily bloom,
She saw the helmet and the plume,
She looked down to Camelot.
Out flew the web and floated wide;
The mirror cracked from side to side;
"The curse is come upon me,"
criedThe Lady of Shalott.

In the stormy east-wind straining,
The pale yellow woods were waning,
The broad stream in his banks complaining.
Heavily the low sky raining
Over towered Camelot;
Down she came and found a boat
Beneath a willow left afloat,
And round about the prow she wrote
The Lady of Shalott

And down the river's dim expanse
Like some bold seer in a trance,
Seeing all his own mischance -
With a glassy countenance
She looked to Camelot.
And at the closing of the day
She loosed the chain and down she lay;
The broad stream bore her far away,
The Lady of Shalott.

Who is this? And what is here?
And in the lighted palace near
Died the sound of royal cheer;
And they crossed themselves for fear,
The Knights at Camelot;
Lancelot mused a little space
He said, "She has a lovely face;
God in his mercy lend her grace,
The Lady of Shalott."

(Alfred Lord Tennyson)

On a scented note: in my humble opinion I would nominate the original Nina Ricci L'Air du Temps, complete with its spiciness and white floral nuance, as the scent The Lady of Shallot should wear. I'm biased however: I would gladly pick the vintage L'Air du Temps over some modern offerings anytime.

Video: YouTube

Interesting Gift Idea of the Day

2008-11-11T09:50:00.001-08:00

Now since the retail chains are gunning for a respectable holiday season more than ever given the sluggish economy (it is no longer asking for a blockbuster season), I thought I do my part by uncovering interesting gift idea: BULLET PROOF ROSE BROOCH. (Yes, you heard me right.)

From the on-line retailer:

Tobias Wong's Bullet Proof Rose Brooch, fashioned from bullet proof material Kevlar, provides added protection with every petal. It is both highly protective and ornately beautiful.

The bullet proof rose can be yours for as little as $153.00 USD if you are a member...or your can buy it at $170.00 USD if you don't feel like joining anything for the day. Available at The Shop at Cooper-Hewitt.

(Now, I would have snatched it if the Kevlar is scented with rose de mai absolute from Grasse, but since it isn't...)

Photo: The Shop at Cooper-Hewitt

Made My Day

2008-11-11T08:54:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Robin from Now Smell This I got a very stimulating lecture. Dr. Luca Turin's blend of humour and synesthesia is just fascinating. Below is the message I left on the New Smell This' comment board:

I have longed been a believer of the shape theory (a variant of the lock and key / enzyme-receptor theory no doubt) but I'm glad Turin is changing my mind. I have to watch the chemical pathways again but the idea of the nose embedding a spectroscope is fascinating. Could the neuroreceptors in our olfactory system somehow allows this to take place? Turin didn't get into the neurological anatomy side of things but I think it shall probably be the next step if he wishes to expand on the theory.

Anyhow--what a stimulating way to formally start a day!

PS. It would be the day if modern classical music composers could be inspired by the sounds of molecular vibrations! Wouldn't those sounds be lovely as themes of a piano sonata--sounds of a benzene molecule, for instance?

Never Forget

2008-11-11T01:37:00.000-08:00

In Flanders Fields

by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, flyScarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

"Pie Jesu" by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Photo: inel.wordpress.com
Poem: greatwar.co.uk
Video: "The Priests singing "Pie Jesu" With The Choir of the Philharmonic Academy of Rome, Singers of The Basilica Of St Peters" from YouTube

How to Properly Uncork a Guerlain Parfum

2008-11-11T00:49:00.000-08:00

Suppose you have just obtained your newest bottle of Guerlain Shalimar parfum after a long while. Brimming with excitement, you gazed intently through the fan-shaped sapphire stopper, delicately stroked the fountain-like bottle with your fingers. Then the dilemma: should I use it? Suppose the answer is yes...now what?

You have two options: cutting open the front knot or the back knot. You have also been told that there is a 50/50 chance that the gold insignia will stay intact if you make the right incision: but which one?

Well, you want to open it discreetly, so you pick the back knot. Snip! The signature tassel quickly unravels from the bottle, leaving you wondering why nobody has readily posted a comprehensive instruction on how to open a Guerlain parfum bottle properly...

Well, below is a diagrammatic representation on how to open a Shalimar parfum bottle correctly: gently place the scissor at the front side of the neck, right between the two knots. Make sure you make the incision carefully but firmly. I prefer using a pair of scissors from a small Swiss Army knife for this job.

Personally I find opening a bottle L'Heure Bleue or Mitsouko to be a less challenging fare: the hollow, inverted heart-shaped stopper is pretty forgiving so long you do not place your scissor near the silk chords right around the neck of the bottle.

Chamade, however, poses a different challenge, for the neck is quite narrow and the stopper is quite pointy: place the bottle on a flat surface before positioning your scissor while, using your other hand, firmly cupping the lower back of your bottle. Yes, the incision point is still at the front but since it has no tassel perhaps it doesn't really matter how you open it so long your hands are not harmed in the end.

Now, the general rule of thumb is that the task is easier with the larger bottles: my 1 oz. L'Heure Bleue slides open like butter while my 1/4 oz. Shalimar refuses to pry open after several attempts before unraveling its tassel like a wilted camellia. Still, with the parfum bottles so breath-taking perhaps an incision mistake is still a sight to behold, as I said to myself as I quickly put away my Shalimar tassel...

Images of Guerlain parfum bottles from Google, incision illustrations by AlbertCAN

Serge Lutens Miel de Bois (2005): Fragrance Review

2008-11-09T23:28:00.000-08:00

I would never forget the smell of Serge Lutens Miel de Bois when I first sampled it a few weeks ago. Surely it would be a hit if featured on Japanese variety shows, which frequently challenge the contestant to perform sadistic acts. Simply put, the overdose phenylacetic acid, a chemical responsible for a silken honey nuance at a low dosage, enables the smell of squatters to be replicated. Mercifully Serge Lutens has pulled it from the shelves.

Thanks, Our American Friends!

2008-11-09T15:59:00.000-08:00

I purposely delayed this post for a few days so the people who voted for the other party wouldn't feel offended...still, thanks to millions of Americans who voted for change! I've always been told that real change begins with an authentic shift in paradigm so I'm so excited to witness the such phenomenon. I think I can speak on behalf of my fellow Canadians that we understand a better America won't be flourished in one day--but we Canadians are more than happy to lend a helping hand to our American neighbours whenever possible. Good luck!

Photo: NotCot.org

Another Canadian Treasure

2008-11-08T22:34:00.000-08:00

Not sure why I'm going through a Canadian music phase but I'm more than happy to invite everyone to discover one of the most breath-taking chansons ever written. Performed here by Marie-Jo Thério, Evangéline is a French-Canadian song that celebrates an Acadian woman's incredible story during the Great Upheaval (1755-1763). Enjoy!

Source: YouTube

Please Indulge Me

2008-11-08T22:01:00.000-08:00

Yet another unrelated post but I have long wished to share with you a very touching episode from Paris, je t'aime. The above segment, 14e arrondissement, is written and directed by Alexander Payne (Sideways) and stars Margo Martindale as Carol, a letter carrier from Denver, Colorado on her first European holiday. I think the ending sums up the magic of Paris, and it always manages to leave me teary eyed. Enjoy!

Source: YouTube

Chills Down My Spine

2008-11-08T14:21:00.000-08:00

Just finished listening to an excellent CBC documentary on Daniel Lanois' influential 1989 debut album "Acadie", perhaps one of the seminal albums in Canadian music. While I know many artists, including U2 and Ron Sexsmith, owe their hypnotic sounds largely to Lanois (who have produced many of their albums), I have had no idea that Jolie Louise (above), the fourth track from "Acadie", was written from his father's perspective. Now I get chills down my spine everytime I hear how Jean-Guy loses everything due to unemployment and alcoholism:

Jolie Louise

Ma jolie, how do you do?
Mon nom est Jean-Guy Thibault-Leroux
I come from east of Gatineau
My name is Jean-Guy, ma jolie

J'ai une maison a Lafontaine
Where we can live, if you marry me
Une belle maison a Lafontaine
Where we will live, you and me
Oh Louise, ma jolie Louise

Tous les matins au soleil
I will work 'til work is done
Tous les matins au soleil
I did work 'til work was done

And one day, the foreman said
"Jean-Guy, we must let you go"
Et pis mon nom, y est pas bon
At the mill anymore...
Oh Louise, I'm losing my head, I'm losing my head

My kids are small, 4 and 3
Et la bouteille, she's mon ami
I drink the rum 'til I I can't see
It hides the shame Louise does not see

Carousel turns in my head,
And I can't hide, oh no, no, no, no
And the rage turned in my head
And Louise, I struck her down, down on the ground
I'm losing my mind, I'm losing my mind

En Septembre '63
Kids are gone, and so is Louise
Ontario, did they go
Near la ville de Toronto

Now my tears, they roll down
Tous les jours
And I remember the days
And the promises that we made
Oh Louise, ma jolie Louise, ma jolie Louise

(Lyrics: Daniel Lanois)

It's especially poignant since, given the current global recession, such story is repeating itself as we speak. Perhaps this sums up Lanois why is still as relevant as ever: it's the authenticity in Lanois' music that still allows the song to resonate with the audience.

Sources: MetroLyrics.com, YouTube

Just a Friendly Reminder

2008-11-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Joni!

2008-11-07T15:05:00.000-08:00

Another week has waltzed by alarmingly fast but it's no excuse to not wish fellow Canadian Joni Mitchell a happy 65th birthday! There are too many songs to list as favourites, too many praises to say...but most importantly, I'm glad Joni Mitchell wrote "Free Man in Paris", a song that couldn't have summed up my thoughts any better (although I'm not in the "star-making business" like the man Joni described)!

And this one is for Perfume Shrine...yes, Joni wrote it when she was in Crete!

May the world overflows you with inspirations, Joni--and may people stop stereotyping your art!

Videos: YouTube

Don't Be Fooled!

2008-11-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

As The New York Times reported on November 5, 2008, "price available upon request" is becoming more as a euphemism used to credit designs that were never produced for sale. Please, repeat after me: buy things for quality, not for prestige. That's why I refuse to look rediculous in trendy brand-name clothes: I'm more interested in well-made goods which can potentially be treasured for years to come.

Photo: TheFashionSpot.com

Playing With the Imfamous Proust Questionnaire

2008-11-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

I thought of ways to describe myself until I realized the futility of reinventing The Proust Questionniare. The following are some of my answers if you care to know a bit more about me: I have tossed in some standard fragrance-related questions as well just in case...

What’s you current state of mind?
Focused.

What is your most marked characteristic?
Cultured.

What are favourite smells?
Orris, osmanthus, fine leather, premium jasmine tea and freshly baked madeleines.

How many fragrances do you own?
I stopped counting after I acquired my 30th bottle many moons ago.

If you could create only one fragrance what would it be?
Chanel Cuir de Russie.

What fragrances do you often wear nowadays?
In no particular order: Chanel No. 19, Guerlain Shalimar, Hermès Osmanthe Yunnan, Hermès Hiris, Serge Lutens Daim Blond, 4711 Eau de Cologne.

What is your greatest extravagance?
My first pair of Salvatore Ferragamo.

Which living person do you most admire?
They recognize who they are, knowing how much I am indebted to them.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Popularity.

On what occasion do you lie?
Dave Brubeck has it down pat so I’m quoting him: “To avoid hurting someone, or when I forget the truth.”

Which living person do you most despise?
Anyone who believes cruelty is the fundamental way of being.

Which word or phrase do you most overuse?
“Hope this helps.” I use it to conclude my messages far too often.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? My future.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Classical music.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
To appreciate people for who they rightly are.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
A blue phoenix.

Where would you most like to live?
Île Saint-Louis.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Selling one’s soul for superficial gains.

What is it that you most dislike?
Discrimination.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Perfectionism.

What is your motto?
“Etre bien dans sa peau.” [At ease with oneself.]

I hope this helps! If you wish to play with your own list of questions, or if you simply wish to read other questionnaires, please refer to the Vanity Fair archive.

Photo: The Proust Society of America