Art Scents: Exploring the Aesthetics of Smell and the Olfactory Arts (Thinking Art)

Although the arts of incense and perfume making are among the oldest of human cultural practices, it is only in the last two decades that the use of odors in the creation of art has begun to attract attention under the rubrics of 'olfactory art' or 'scent art.' Contemporary olfactory art ranges from gallery and museum installations and the use of scents in music, film, and drama, to the ambient scenting of stores and the use of scents in cuisine. All these practices raise aesthetic and ethical issues, but there is a long-standing philosophical tradition, most notably articulated in the work of Kant and Hegel, which argues that the sense of smell lacks the cognitive capacity to be a vehicle for either serious art or reflective aesthetic experience. This neglect and denigration of the aesthetic potential of smell was further reinforced by Darwin's and Freud's views of the human sense of smell as a near useless evolutionary vestige. Smell has thus been widely neglected within the philosophy of art. Larry Shiner's wide-ranging book counters this tendency, aiming to reinvigorate an interest in smell as an aesthetic experience. He begins by countering the classic arguments against the aesthetic potential of smell with both philosophical arguments and evidence from neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, history, linguistics, and literature. He then draws on this empirical evidence to explore the range of aesthetic issues that arise in each of the major areas of the olfactory arts, whether those issues arise from the use of scents with theater and music, sculpture and installation, architecture and urban design, or avant-garde cuisine. Shiner gives special attention to the art status of perfumes and to the ethical issues that arise from scenting the body, the ambient scenting of buildings, and the use of scents in fast food. Shiner's book provides both philosophers and other academic readers with not only a comprehensive overview of the aesthetic issues raised by the emergence of the olfactory arts, but also shows the way forward for further studies of the aesthetics of smell. "This book offers an overview of the aesthetic and ethical issues raised by the contemporary olfactory arts, which range from gallery and museum sculptures and installations, through the enhancement of theater, film, and music with scents, to the ambient scenting of stores and avant-garde chefs' use of scents in cuisine. Special attention is given to the aesthetics of perfume and incense and the question of their art status, as well as to the role of scent in the appreciation of nature and gardens. Ethical issues are discussed regarding ambient scenting, perfume wearing, and the use of smells in fast-food marketing. Because of the traditional neglect and denigration of the sense of smell and its aesthetic potential by philosophers from Kant and Hegel to the present, and by Darwin's and Freud's view of the human sense of smell as a nearly useless evolutionary vestige, the first parts of the book counter that tradition with both philosophical arguments and evidence from current evolutionary theory, neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, history, linguistics, and literature. Although the focus is on Western olfactory arts, the book draws on non-Western examples throughout. The book is aimed at both philosophers and general readers interested in the arts, and develops positions that should stimulate further discussion." -- Oxford Scholarship Online Title_Pages 1 Acknowledgments 5 Introduction 7 OverviewThe_Challenge_of_the_Olfactory_Arts 17 PreludeNietzsches_Nose 21 The_Fear_of_Smell 23 InterludeCalvinos_The_Name_the_Nose 39 The_Neuroscience_and_Psychology_of_Smell_IWhat_the_Nose_Can_Do 41 InterludeThe_Pheromone_Myth 55 The_Neuroscience_and_Psychology_of_Smell_IIWhat_the_Nose_Cant_Do 58 Smell_Emotion_and_Aesthetics 72 OverviewA_Biocultural_Approach 81 PreludeDarwin_Smell_and_Evolution 84 The_Dialectic_of_DeodorizationSmell_in_Western_History 89 InterludeFragrant_Asia 100 Language_Culture_and_Smell 105 Writing_Smell 119 Odor_Memory_and_Proust 129 PostludeIs_an_Olfactory_Aesthetics_Possible 140 OverviewWhat_Is_Olfactory_Art 144 PreludePicturing_Smell 151 Toward_a_Total_Work_of_ArtSmell_in_Theater_Film_and_Music 157 InterludeSmeller_20_and_the_Osmodrama 177 Sublime_StenchesContemporary_Olfactory_Art 181 InterludeKodo_an_Art_of_Incense 200 Beautiful_FragrancesIs_Perfume_a_Fine_Art 208 Perfume_between_Art_and_Design 228 PostludeFree_Art_versus_Design_Art 242 OverviewVarieties_of_Aesthetic_Experience 251 PreludeTwo_Cautionary_Tales 257 The_Meanings_and_Morality_of_Scenting_the_Body 261 Ambient_Scenting_Architecture_and_the_City 274 Enhancing_Flavors_with_Scents_in_Contemporary_Cuisine 292 PostludeWilderness_Gardens_and_Paradise 303 An_Invitation_to_Discovery 311 Bibliography 315 Index 336 "An overview of the aesthetic and ethical issues raised by the contemporary olfactory arts, which range from gallery and museum sculptures and installations, through the enhancement of theatre, film and music with scents, to the ambient scenting of stores and avant-garde chefs' use of scents in cuisine. Special attention is given to the aesthetics of perfume and incense and the question of their art status, as well as to the role of scent in the appreciation of nature and gardens. Ethical issues are discussed regarding ambient scenting, perfume wearing, and the use of smells in fast-food marketing. Because of the traditional neglect and denigration of the sense of smell and its aesthetic potential by philosophers from Kant and Hegel to the present, and by Darwin's and Freud's view of the human sense of smell as a near useless evolutionary vestige, the first parts of the book counter that tradition with both philosophical arguments and evidence from current evolutionary theory, neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, history, linguistics and literature. Although the focus is on Western olfactory arts, the book draws on non-Western examples throughout. The book is aimed at both philosophers and general readers interested in the arts, and develops positions that should stimulate further discussion." -- Oxford Scholarship Online "An overview of the aesthetic and ethical issues raised by the contemporary olfactory arts, which range from gallery and museum sculptures and installations, through the enhancement of theatre, film and music with scents, to the ambient scenting of stores and avant-garde chefs' use of scents in cuisine. Special attention is given to the aesthetics of perfume and incense and the question of their art status, as well as to the role of scent in the appreciation of nature and gardens. Ethical issues are discussed regarding ambient scenting, perfume wearing, and the use of smells in fast-food marketing. Because of the traditional neglect and denigration of the sense of smell and its aesthetic potential by philosophers from Kant and Hegel to the present, and by Darwin's and Freud's view of the human sense of smell as a near useless evolutionary vestige, the first parts of the book counter that tradition with both philosophical arguments and evidence from current evolutionary theory, neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, history, linguistics and literature. Although the focus is on Western olfactory arts, the book draws on non-Western examples throughout. The book is aimed at both philosophers and general readers interested in the arts, and develops positions that should stimulate further discussion"-- Provided by publisher In the last twenty years there has been a marked increase in artists using smells in their works at the same time that scents are being used to accompany plays, films, and music. There is also an increase in ambient scenting in stores and hotels and leading chefs are adding unusual scents to cuisine. The book explores these olfactory activities and the aesthetic and ethical issues they raise as well as answering the traditional disparagement of the sense of smell byleading intellectuals such as Kant, Darwin, and Freud, drawing on current science, social science, and humanities as well as literature