I haven’t quite managed to get back onto the frenetic merry-go-round that I fondly call Normal Life (my soul is still on a lilo, bobbing along to the tune of Mediterranean waves), but as promised, here’s the long-awaited draw for a signed copy of Jean-Claude Ellena’s The Diary Of A Nose. Slim and contemplative, the book raises more questions than it answers, which is another way of saying that it serves as an excellent companion to its author’s enigmatic, deceptively transparent fragrances.
To enter the draw, all you have to do is leave a comment on the controversial subject of perfumery as an art and/or craft. Yes, I know I’m opening a can of worms here, but don’t worry, I’m not expecting you to produce a thesis. Just write down the first few lines that come to your head. Do you consider perfume creation to be an art or a craft? Do you see a difference between the two? Is the question even relevant? Feel free to interpret the topic in any way you wish. And don’t forget to read the terms and conditions below before you enter.
To get you started, here’s what Ellena himself has to say on the subject.
Craftsman, artist: I have never managed to settle for one or other of these definitions for myself. I feel like a craftsman when I am completely wrapped up in making a perfume; I feel like an artist when I imagine the perfume I need to make. In fact, I constantly juggle with the two standpoints. If perfume is first and foremost a creation of the mind, it cannot actually be created without the mastery of true skill.
Good luck!
Persolaise
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Draw Terms & Conditions
i) the draw will be closed at 10 pm (UK time) on Monday 10th September; ii) the winner will be selected at random and will be announced on this blog on Tuesday 11th September; iii) readers from anywhere in the world are eligible to enter; iv) relatives of anyone associated with Persolaise.com are not permitted to enter; v) the winner’s address will not be kept on record by Persolaise, nor will it be passed to any third parties; vi) if the winner has not made contact with me by Tuesday 18th September, an alternative winner may be selected.
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Great draw.
I will continue to consider perfumery to be as an art form until somebody succeeds to convince me that it is not. It should be the ones who say No to provide the proof.
Marzia
Thanks for the draw.
It really makes no difference to me if a perfume is a work of art. But then it also makes no difference if a work by Mozart is a work of art.
If someone ever manages to make me believe that Vol De Nuit is not a work of art, I will eat my purple fedora.
Please enter me in the draw.
Shanees
Wow, what a wonderful draw. And how wodnerful to hold a perfume draw for someting that isn't a perfume.
Art or craft? There was a time when they were the same thing. It's no issue, as far as I'm concerned.
Harry S-R.
Art is the apotheosis of craft – someone may excel so much at a craft that it becomes art whereas the opposite is an insult. Art is high concept, craft is not. Nowadays craft still seems more formulaic – someone producing a celeb scent for Coty might be a crafstman but there seems precious little art in it.
Please enter me in the draw.
I would consider perfumery an art and craft… But again, to me I just love it, so it doesn't really matter…
I think of Perfumery as an art with often the ability to change thinking and to reflect new aesthetics .
I like the way Chandler Burr describes perfumery as an art. I think his views are convincing.
Thanks for this draw.
Alvarro.
Art is dead. Long live art. This is now just a subject for declaration, not production. If you say something is art, it is not easy for someone else to argue contra to your claim.
Thank you for the draw, I would love to read this book.
Perfumery is an art because it is the ineffable combination of soaring imagination and profound poetry yet requires the canny skill to achieve both qualities simultaneously.
Sometimes craft is art. Sometimes art is done without craft. Both are rare.
(How's that for Ellena-level obscurity?)
I think that if photography can be art, then there is a strong case for saying perfume is art.
Look forward to winning.
Johnston '78
I once met Monsieur Ellena and he was very warm and friendly. Actually, we briefly discussed art and he didn't want to talk about this own relation to this subject. For me, the answer is sure: perfume is art.
Max
Awesome draw!
I spend all my time convincing my friends that perfumery is an art, in the same way that wine-tasting is an art. Just cause it's a different sense doesn't make it any less of one! That said, extensive commercialisation does make it seem as though perfumes are made as functional products. But it just makes it more of an art having to juggle between pleasing the company, the masses, and yourself!
In my view, this matter is decreasing in importance. Maybe this is actually a sign that people don't have any problems accepting perfume as an art form.
Please enter me in the draw.
Mark
Wonderful draw, thank you. I really enjoyed the first book from JCE.
This whole subject doesn't interest me any more. It did for a while, until I realised that real artists just do whatever they have to do, without worrying if other people will see their work as art.
***7819Dave***
"Art" in itself is a relatively new concept. What we now concider as art, such as writing poetry or painting, has through history been considered a "craft" in a much longer period than "art", because it had a purpose beyond the purpose of art. I see perfume in a similar way. As a painting or woodcarving once both was an item that was supposed to be used, viewed upon for a better insight in religion and ethics, but also enjoyed, perfume is also meant to be used and enjoyed. To create something as complex and beautiful as a perfume, one needs some "crafty" skills as well as artistic skills – one cannot make a truly beatiful perfume just from technique or creativity, just as one cannot create a wonderful painting or write a good novel without both knowing how to paint (or write) and having the skill.
I see perfume as an art, because I enjoy perfume as I enjoy art. But I am completely aware that the majority of perfume consumers today aren't even aware that there's actually someone *composing* scents – and I try to increase an awareness of this to, hopefully, get more people to enjoy perfumes as I do.
I like the previous comment, which says that the problem is with our definition, not with perfumery itself. Beautiful craft is art, in my opinion.
Thank you for the draw.
hy Persolaise,
art is something that emotion you even if you are not a good connoisseur of the particular subject..
i can like or not a paint, music, a fragrance….but for sure i will love a paint, music or fragrance that thrill me from the inside
This reminds me of a child physician who said he didn't understand why some parents were so intent on getting diagnoses of 'trendy' ailments for their kids. "Okay, here you go. Your son has ADHD. Here's the label you wanted. What are you gonna do with it?"
Let's all agree that perfumery is art. Let's give it that label. Does the world change in any way? Does perfumery change in any way? I kind of don't think so.
Amazing draw, thank you.
Jose Clarke
What a fun draw! I think it goes without saying that part of the perfume world is definitely artistic. Of course many designer fragrances released today are merely made to smell good to a very large amount of people because they are simply an instrument to make money. But we all know there is a large group of perfumers making absolutely wonderful, emotional and innovative fragrances. And that is an art. Of course Ellena is among them!
From Ahmed A:
Thank you for the draw.
In some languages, the words for art and craft are the same. I think this says a lot.
For me, perfumery is not an art (it is not sufficiently conceptual) but this does not matter at all. I am happy to enjoy it is a High Craft.
The Hungry Piranha
I recently read that perfume shouldn't be only emotional experience, that it is not art if it is only seen through the eyes of emotions. Isn't art in general like that? I don't need to know notes, composition of music, colors and reasons for the particular painting… is just there for me, for us. We can all feel art (at least sometimes) but we may not necessarily need to understand it… so, for me – it is an art. 🙂
Oh, I really want to get my hands on this book… so that I can decide if perfumery is an art or not 😉
Please enter me,
Mila
Why can't it be both? The nose learns his/her craft and turns that knowledge into an art.
I've just started an A Level Design course, and the first question our teacher asked us is if we thought the perfume she was wearing was Art. We couldn't work out a proper answer in the end LOL
I'd love to be in the draw
I'm totally agree with "Art is the apotheosis of craft" thesis.
So to create a piece of art is easy – just put some soul in your craft:)
Perfume… The art of composition of decomposition.
I think perfumery is both an art and a craft. Art is not a superior form of craft. Both have their place in the creation of perfumes.
I don't what to add to the dicussion, except that I hope we get a proper answer one day.
Please enter me to the draw.
Xavier.
I think perfume is an art that takes craft to accomplish~
I like Womo's idea: you need craft to be artistic, and you need art to bring craft to life.
Tania D.
Why the perfume has to be art? Why it cannot be taken as artisanal? I think this is the best word, because it makes combination of art and craft.
Always I felt that L'Artisan Parfumeur is the best name for the perfumery brand.
I don't understand how architecture is art, so I really don't see the point with perfumery. Sorry.
Andrew
It's interesting to me that many of those who seem to be advocating perfume as art are the consumers of perfume, whereas many of the makers of perfume refer to it as a craft. There's so much technical knowledge we take for granted. But don't artists have to know the specs, as it were, of different brushes and types of paint? I maybe ALL types of art are like this.
For my cousin, who is a ceramic artist, he does the exact same type of work… but if he decides to shape a bowl, suddenly that is "craft," where if he decides to shape a human figure, suddenly that is "art."
The distinction doesn't have much meaning, I think!
I'm quite closely involved with a company which makes perfumes (for other brands) and we're always told that regardless of how other people perceive our work, we should treat it as art. I'm not sure how that works, but I suppose it raises an interesting question about 'where' art is created. Shades of Critical Theory lectures at college.
Tom
I agree strongly with womo that perfumery is an art that takes a craft to complete it. There is so much work and technical things perfumers must take into consideration – is this ingredient allowed in this country, what ingredient is changing the color of the fragrance, the sillage strength, etc. But they are also artists evoking their feelings, memories, and passion. Some take abstract smells and make it wearable, evoking feelings and memories within ourselves, and inspiring – Bois Farine for example. It takes an artist, yet someone who has the craft knowledge, to do something like that.
Mostly it is good old craftmanship. But the very best ones are all wearing the touch of an artist.
The purpose of art is to elevate the human of monotonically eArthly exiStence , do closer to heaven, Space and peace of heaven. Works of Jean-Claude Ellena is definitely ART Ellenaelle
There was a time when the novel was not considered to be an art, so I think the recognition of perfume is still to come soon.
Yannis
Please enter me in this draw. I enjoy all the Hermessence perfumes.
Jamie
Perfume is a craft. Or maybe an art. Or both maybe. Sorry, but I'm unable to form a better opinion until I have a copy of Jean-Claude Ellena's 'The Diary Of A Nose' in my hands.
Art or craft? What's in a word? Are chefs artists and cooks craftsmen? If perfumers are artists, then are chefs, too? If chefs are not artists, then are perfumers not either? Are filmmakers artists or craftsmen? Can someone be both at the same time and in the same way?
As you can see, I find the issue quite confusing. (-;
Isn't it true that in Japan even tea-making can be seen as an 'art'. The issue here is our definition of words like art or craft. Perfumery is what it is. It won't change if it has a different label attached to it.
There are now so many different types of 'accepted' art (types which our ancestors would never have recognised) that I'm sure perfumery could be made to fit one of them. My question is: so what? Does it make any real difference?
Timmy The Dog
Perfumery is art when passion and ideas are captured in the form of liquid poetry.
Perfumery is craft when marketing, celebrity branding and sale targets churns out a chemical cocktail that smells of excel spreadsheets.
This can be very interesting reading, please enter me. Alica – alica at cleis dot net. thx
Art or craft? Perfumery is both. If it misses one or the other, then it cannot be perfect.
OMG I smelt Hiris for the first time today, and nobody can says it isnt art and Ellena made it, so it is a sign for me to win this book.
Essa
*** THE DRAW IS NOW CLOSED ***
Please visit http://www.persolaise.com tomorrow to find out who the winner is.