...said Baudelaire, whether it be on wine, poetry, or virtue--as you wish.
Or perfume, perhaps? Either direct experience, or giddy exploration thereof?
I know I have enjoyed other intense dalliances, affairs, and marriages with music, and writing, and gardening, and collecting, and jewelry making, and .....
In related musings, the topic of perfume as art is on the front burner again. The Times Literary Supplement has an article which explores the question in the context of dicussing Turin/Sanchez Perfumes: A Guide; Nathan Branch recently opened by quoting that article, then bringing up comic artist Stan Lee's recently receiving a National Medal of Arts; Helg invokes the perfume as art question during recent posts exploring the economy of perfume and nostalgia at Perfume Shrine.
I may circumvent the whole question of Is Perfume Art/Can Perfume Be Art? by following Baudelaire's lead. Simply being drunk on it is okay by me for now.
I shall endeavor to not be wanton with it, or fresh water, of course.
12 comments:
But then again life is short and pleasure can be hard to come by so maybe a little wantoness with our delights is not so bad.
great quote- I think I am a Baudelaire girl when it comes to perfume, love, drink, writing... and the list goes on...
PS we blogged about the same article- great minds I guess!
Jen,
Good thought...now I'm pondering the balance between drunken and wanton...
:)
Rose,
I went and read your lovely post, and I agree, it is nice to have a non-perfume person raise the question of olfactory expression as art.
(Oooh, there's a fancy sentence that brings back my academic days. :) )
My best friend is a Philosophy PhD student and one of the smartest people I know... She has this theory, that countries have specific adages (is this the correct word in english? hmm... maybe I should have said apothegm...) about things that the specific culture itself finds hard to keep true to. For example the Dutch have the saying "Customer is King" exactly because they find it so hard to provide good customer service. Greeks then, have the saying "Pan Metron Ariston", which roughly translated means "All Good Things in Moderation". Unsurprisingly perhaps as a Greek, I find myself completely unable to endulge in anything with moderation. Not perfume, not shoes, not any of my loves! LOL! I guess I am wanton in my lusty pursuits after all...
Love to you, sweet Scentscelf :) Keep making me think :)
I meant *adages*, sorry.
Divina,
This is interesting, your friend's theory. I am going to ponder that for a while...
...and while I do, I will note that I frequently point out how, in English, at least, there are so many contradictory adages. For example: 'Distance makes the heart grow fonder' vs. 'Out of sight, out of mind.' Until now I just figured there was an adage to explain any given situation; your friend's concept of an adage as a prescription for a situation brings a new way of looking at things.
LOL at your Greek view of "moderation"...does this mean, if I ever come to visit you where you are or any location in Greece, that I should be polite and do as the Grecians do? If so, I'm working on arranging a visit ASAP!! ;)
With a smile for and a toast to lusty wantonness...
:) :)
Oh, most DEFINITELY yes! LOL! The Greeks do absolutely nothing in moderation! I live in the Netherlands now, but every time I visit I am stunned at the amazing joie de vivre and excess with which life is enjoyed over there! And yes, they love visitors that do as the Greeks and join in the fun! :)
PS: Just a little example to give you a laugh: The Greeks are CONSTANTLY out. I go there and see them out in droves every single weekday, enjoying themselves well after midnight and wonder.. Don't these people have jobs to go to tomorrow? Of course they do... They just burn the candle at both ends :P
I admire the very idea of burning the candle at both ends but that kind of energy has eluded me especially lately. Perfume can be re-energizing though in a very basic physical/mental way. If you find out the secret of that ability to burn endlessly please report back in detail...
Lucy, will happily report back when discovered. :) (Off to explore...)
I'm drunk on life...the scents and smells, the sights...
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