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'Odor Limits' sends an artistic fragrance through University City

Alysson Cwyk

Issue date: 5/23/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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And "Odor Limits" is quite the unique exhibit.

Docent Katie Beth Jerome led me through the gallery, explaining piece by piece along with her colleague Leslie Stein, a science communications officer from Monell. Jerome stressed that these pieces of art "really reach out to people … and speak to the viewer … speak to the experient."

The first works that I encountered were from Ursitti, who created two untitled videos that focused on body odors. We do not think about it, but, according to Stein, "the genes of our immune system gives each of us a very distinct body odor that's as distinct as our thumbprint" and provides attractions for others to our "personal perfumes."

The first video displayed a game of hide-and-seek between the artist and a specially trained scent dog, showing how we leave "odor tracks" wherever we go. The second piece shows George Dodd, a scientist, perfumer and aromatherapist, examining Ursitti's bare skin by sniffing to analyze scents found on different bodily locations. Did you know that the chemical compounds found in human earwax are similar to jasmine, an erotic smell, which is the most sought after element for perfumes? Or that feet produce an intense odor associated with the aroma of gourmet French cheeses? I became more educated by experiencing and viewing each and every work of art found in the gallery.

Next came the third and final video in the exhibit, a piece called "SMELL YOU>SMELL ME" from Marketou. In "SMELL YOU>SMELL ME," Marketou examines a slew of volunteers who answer inquiries about how they feel on the topic of smell. In a "Real World" confessional-type setting, every person responds individually to the questions posed by the artist. The characters are extremely different, yet all explain interesting insights on their thoughts of odors, ranging from having a large nose and smelling urine in New York City to claiming that Banff Centre has the most beautiful scent and once you have arrived, "All you wanna do is make love."
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Perfumes

posted 7/16/08 @ 1:28 AM EST

I have a branded perfume i bought far ago,...Its end now and now i want this again but it is not in the market... can anybody tell me from where i can do shopping. (Continued…)

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