In art, few people talked about the sense of smell. It’s usually visual art and writing, auditory music, and in rare instances, art pieces that can be interacted with by touch. But the sense of smell is, in fact, a mighty thing that can be utilized by many artists.
Imagine this: you’re walking down the street, and suddenly, you’re it with the tantalizing scent of baked goodies. You find yourself gravitating towards the bakery, leading with your nose. It is the same concept: scents can persuade people and even transport them to another place. The scent of citrus blossoms may transport you to a favorite childhood home, say, or a certain brand of perfume can recall a mother’s embrace. These are all powerful qualities that can draw the viewer’s attention; perhaps it is because scents are so personal it is hard to reach a wide variety of audiences, but it can nonetheless give another dimension to a painting or a performance.
One of the most memorable uses of scent, to me, is in the Disney ride “Soarin'”. This legendary ride creates a simulated experience by lifting and tilting riders as though they are flying over the most beautiful places in the world. Riders are lifted over a screen as the video flashes by. However, as Disney fans know, the simulation doesn’t stop with the visual and audio effects. As you pass over green fields, you smell the gentle scent of fresh-cut grass. In the original ride, riders fly over an expansive orange grove as they sense the smell of tart, Californian oranges.
Besides VR, using scents with visual art can create a wider variety of art ideas. An installation could use one visual and a contrasting scent to create a juxtaposition that provokes thoughts from the viewer. It can create different levels of scents throughout the day to stimulate change since art pieces are usually unmoving and unchanging. There are numerous other ways it can be experimented with since art is ever-expanding in today’s world and has multiple ways of expression.
These days, products such as scented watercolors are available on the market. They invite an aesthetic in both the visual and olfactory senses. Try to experiment with using these for a different layer of creativity in your art pieces. Perhaps it will change the viewer’s perspective on your art and its multi-dimensionality.
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