framed friction activated micro-encapsulated odour on board, 103.5cm x 123.5cm
Globally olfactory art is becoming a more prevalent and acceptable artform, an artform which has been predominantly championed by female artists. However, when it comes to the exhibiting of olfactory artworks and installations more than 75% of the artists are male.
I have been making olfactory art for over 15 years and whilst Japan, Europe, Nth and Sth America have welcomed this new and innovative artform, the UK is seriously lacking in its vision and recognition of the genre. Yes, smell is being added to the occasional grand exhibition, but it is used as a support for the visual works shown. Elsewhere in the world the olfactory art is a stand alone piece within its own space and realm.
My latest collection of works has been built around ‘invisible paintings’, drawings and paintings created purely from friction activated odours. Each painting is accompanied by a coloured smell palette so the ‘viewer’ is able to identify the image within the frame by smell association only. For instance, blue could be represented by the smell of peppermint, or green represented by the scent of apples.
‘Hammy, Roderick and G.P’ is a simple painting of a typical British waterway, with reeds, wild flowers, a boat and a bubbling brook, all depicted in four distinct odour/colour representations.
