Demeter has launched Orange Rim Cleaner, a new limited edition fragrance created for Irish artist Alan Phelan:
In 2009 Irish artist Alan Phelan contacted Demeter about creating a fragrance for an upcoming retrospective at the Irish Museum of Modern [Art]. Alan wanted to re-create the smell of an orange scented wheel de-greaser that was used by modified car enthusiasts at an event he had organized a few years prior. The smell of this cleaner was his strongest memory of the day, where modified car owners cleaned their parked cars all day prior to judging in a “Shine and Show” competition.
Rather than show photographs or make some kind of ‘boy racer’ artwork, the memory trigger through fragrance was how Phelan wanted to represent the idea. As an art piece the scent grapples with the o-object, as ultimate dematerialized artwork, an unobtainable object of desire, a smell. And thus, an amazing partnership with Demeter was forged, as the opportunity to merge the perfumer’s art into the visual and spatial art of Alan Phelan was irresistible. Demeter was uniquely suited for this project because no other fragrance house works the relationship between scent and memory so intimately.
The project is connected to a multiple venue exhibition called “Fragile Absolutes” which worked through a range of different themes and productions methods.
Demeter Orange Rim Cleaner is available in limited quantities at the Demeter website, $30 for 30 ml.
(via demeterfragrance)
18 Comments
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Someone should send this to that awful “critic” Blake Gopnik.
I was thinking the same thing. Where’s the “Like” button when you need one?
LOL — maybe you better smell it first
And is duplicating the scent of a functional product in order to create an atmosphere or memory trigger — even as part of an art exhibit — necessarily art? Let’s just say you duplicate the scent of Windex and you get it right, is the scent art, or is how you use it in an exhibit (just as many other everyday objects are made into art) art? I think these are valid questions.
I am picturing Warhol’s Campbell Soup Cans.
From the name and the smaller graphic posted on FB, at first I honestly thought this was supposed to smell like a urinal puck.
LOL!
That was my first thought, too! That’ll be the next Demeter scent.
Does orange rim cleaner smell like Gojo soap?
No idea, sorry!
I suspect that this orange-scented degreaser is the same one I use in my day job at a restaurant. It’s called Orange Force, and its scent is nothing to write home about – just a bright, sweet orange, clearly synthetic. Almost like orange Kool-Aid, with a slight ammoniac edge. But hey, if it’s in the name of Art…
Yeah, could be. Seems unlikely that the original smell is something I’m dying to wear, but it’s an interesting project.
LOL! I can recreate the smell of orange cleaning products perfectly already – just spray me with Clinique Happy and see what my skin does with it.
Ha!
Good news ladies: I ordered it. True. My son is a grease monkey and wears Bulgari Black (the rubber), so I thought I’d continue the car theme. Yes, might be a big dud, and I will definitely report back. The kids hate the stuff I pick out for their birthdays and Christmas anyway; I might as well amuse myself.
Excellent! Hope he loves it.
Thanks, Robin! I’m going to bundle it with the actual orange rim cleaner – at least I’m assured that one gift will go over.
It’s here, it’s on, I love it! It will be great on him for the 20 minutes it will probably last. A burst of orange, followed by dry down of auto body shop. A blind-buy “hit”!
Oh good, I’m so glad!!