Beautiful Fragrances
Chapter 11 considers the claim that the best perfumes should be classified as part of the fine arts. The chapter argues that from the perspective of contemporary aesthetic definitions of fine art, perfumes have all it takes to be fine art since they have complex structures that develop over time that can be used to represent ideas and express emotions. Yet the second half of the chapter argues that from the perspective of contemporary contextual and historical definitions of art, perfumes are more like design art than fine art. The contextual case against fine art status is based on a model of art and design practices that involves roles, intentions, media, norms, and institutions. If we compare the creation of a commercial perfume designed by a perfumer with a “perfume” commissioned by an artist for an installation, commercial perfume looks like a design art. Chapter 11 ends in an impasse.