“We do not discover the meaning of a smell by distinguishing it from other smells but by distinguishing contexts within which particular smells have a typical value.” – ALFRED GELL
Tag Archives: smell culture studies
Smell culture studies
“The investigation of the olfactory is the investigation of everything else.” – HANS RINDISBACHER
Ferdinand & Smell culture studies (4)
The Story of Ferdinand (1936) is a much acclaimed classic children book written by American author Munro Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson. This post reveals the fragrant (and so far ignored) message of the plot.
Ferdinand & current research (3)
The Story of Ferdinand is a much acclaimed classic children book written by American author Munro Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson. Since its publication in 1936 the story has generated a wide range of readings. This essay looks at Ferdinand as a possible icon of science communication. It shows how the story corresponds with the current state of research. The essay is a new chapter of the ongoing series of Scent Culture Comment & Review.
Ferdinand & the King of Happiness (2)
The Story of Ferdinand also has a remarkable cinematic history: This post revisits the short animated film adapted by Walt Disney 1938 and reveals its craftmanship in showing olfactory practices.
Ferdinand & the pleasures of olfactory perception (1)
The Story of Ferdinand is a much acclaimed classic children book written by American author Munro Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson. This post reveals the fragrant (and so far widely ignored) message of the plot. It is the first chapter in a new series Ferdinand& of Scent Culture Comment & Review.
Continue reading Ferdinand & the pleasures of olfactory perception (1)
Smelling digital culture
Digital culture seems to epitomize a scentfree world. Information technologies are clean. The sense of smell seems to be the outsider of a digital world. Isn’t this part of the story we tell about progress and a postindustrial society?
Smelly wheels: In search of alternatives
Visual representations of smell are one of the core themes of our presence on Instagram: Wheel, circle, and pie have recently appeared as recurring and influential visual metaphors. The fragrance wheel created by Michael Edwards is perhaps the most prominent example these days. But the history of visualizations demonstrates that this is only one example out of many. The visual metaphor of the circle or the wheel has been used to classify urine smells. The colour, smell, and even taste of urine was used to both identify particular illnesses and provide patient prognoses, from Hippocrates to the Victorian era. The practice, called uroscopy or uromancy, was, according to the Doctor’s Review, “once the number-one way to diagnose disease — and predict the future”.
Mission
“Smell may not seem a profound enough problem to dominate all the life sciences, but it contains, piece by piece, all the mysteries.” – LEWIS THOMAS
Smell Culture Studies at the University of St. Gallen
Smell culture studies are offered as part of the contextual studies at the University of St.Gallen. Here are some insights: Continue reading Smell Culture Studies at the University of St. Gallen