As a part of my artist residency with Paraflows/Monochrom and Quartier21 in Vienna, Austria I've created a new form of street art using scent.
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Graffiti as a medium has remained largely unchanged since early humans were painting cave walls. The style and purpose has evolved over the centuries, but still nobody has successfully broken free of its visual nature. From this line of thinking smell graffiti has emerged. Harnessing modern chemistry and appropriating technology invented for industry I am working on a new way to make a statement in a public space.
Scent is interpreted by the limbic system which is very closely tied to emotion and memory. This leads me to believe that interacting with people using scent can potentially be a much more powerful medium than paint since people experiencing it can't help but react to it. The goal of this project is to realize the potential of smell as art and to explore different ways of using it to interact with people.
Scent is interpreted by the limbic system which is very closely tied to emotion and memory. This leads me to believe that interacting with people using scent can potentially be a much more powerful medium than paint since people experiencing it can't help but react to it. The goal of this project is to realize the potential of smell as art and to explore different ways of using it to interact with people.
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but I'm starting to notice more spiteful comments that are simply jabs at others. I guess that's the inevitable outcome of any web-site that allows people to comment, since everybody is a tough guy when hiding behind a keyboard. Just because you CAN get away with being a jerk when there are no consequences does NOT mean you should be that way. .... I mean a site designed to inspire creativity, knowledge and education is not the place to take bullying stabs at other people and there diseases (be they real or imaginary). just because you are able to be a jerk does NOT give you the right to be one.... if a person is looking to be an ass or pick a fight why not go to the millions of mindless sites that revolve around that mentality.
The fact that a person would come to a site like instructables and then insult others who have commented tells me personally that they do not have what it takes to fight in an arena designed for that kinda' confrontation and verbal attack.... in short they are a big fish in a very small pond since this site, up till recently anyway, revolves around a higher mental ability. creativity and constructive criticism. This arena is NOT a mid 90's AOL chat room so don't act that way here. Thank you.
As for it being a brand new idea... well... Territorial mammals have marked their turf for millions of years. But public urination is illegal in most cities ;)
An instructable is suppose to share HOW to do something, not WHY.
Graffiti as an art is, as Numberandom points out, ancient but the word only appeared in the early 1960's. It seems it was derived from the Italian word, "Graffito" which means to make a mark by scratching or etching. In other words, permanent!
Just as the reaction to Numberandom's idea, graffiti has been an abhorrence since the invention of spray paint, but is now coming into it's own as a form of art (as several here have observed - thank you icecreamterror).
No doubt this scented version will find its place in history alongside graffiti and be loved and hated by many. Sadly, I don't see how I will ever find a coffee table book of scented graffiti masterpieces!
I agree that some people are bothered by odors and aromas - whether medically or mentally - and to that end, I would encourage Numberandom to use organic essential oils and avoid acids or other chemicals that can harm surfaces and physically irritate people.
But there can be a positive side to this artistic expression and I would discourage people from hammering this solely from a personal perspective. I cannot ride a bike, but that doesn't mean I should be defensive toward those who do. I serve guests wine with dinner, but I cannot drink it. You get the ideea...please keep an open mind.
Numberandom pointed out that he envisions bringing scents to places where they are unavailable (grass scent in a concrete city, for example). That is a path well worth exploring! Fuse aromatic graffiti with other perceptual experiences - brilliant concept!
If the term graffiti does not fit, you may have to invent a new one. Odoretti, perhaps, from the Italian "odore" or "puzzati" from the Italian word, puzzare, but that means "bad odor" so you might not want to use that. Good luck with it. Let us know if you stage a city-wide exhibition - I'll hop a plane for the bay area to be a part of that historic event!
The thought of being ambushed by chemicals sprayed in public places is very disconcerting to me, as I can see the affect on my health within minutes. Be kind to people and the environment - after all, these chemicals also get washed down drains and into the environment. Us MCS people are nicknamed "human canaries" for good reason.
Cool made-up disease bro. Bet it gets you all the chicks.
What you have isn't a chemical sensitivity, it's paranoid schizophrenia.
Graffiti is a artform that unfortunetly is being diluted by "street artists" with little knolage of the craft that is free can Graffiti.
You just have to look at how Stencil art has now become known as Graffiti buy the ill informed populace.