Sophia Masters
Reddam House
S(C)ENTIMENTAL
Painting
Oil on canvas and paper on foamcore
Scent is the most complex, powerful and precise sense we have, always attached to emotion. One whiff of my mother's perfume brings dormant memories back to me. My body of work uses still life bottles of perfume to represent the intricate identity and nature of the intimacy I have with those closest to me. As the audience engages with my work, smelling the perfume strips, they are offered an intimate insight into my relationships while triggering their own associations and memories. The work also references COVID-19, an early symptom of which is loss of smell, depriving us of intimacy.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: The Art of Scent (1889-2012), New York Museum of Arts and Design exhibition 2012; Eric Christensen.
Marker's Commentary
S(c)entimental is a small-scale series of scent bottles on French linen, each standing alone in the centre of its canvas. Exhibiting a deft understanding of light and surface, they evoke the luxury of past times, olfactory transportation and a sense of decadence that heavenly perfume holds. The French linen, itself, offers a timeless allure. The glass of each bottle and metal tops and caps glisten in the light with the symmetrical placement of each item completing the illusion. A sense of contentment is conveyed and supported through the immersion in a single mode of presentation on each canvas, formally grouped in rows of three by three. The rhythm and repetition of placement offers a psychological counterpoint. Despite the allusion to the past, the scent bottles are presented in a contemporary manner with little to ground them in their space other than soft ghostly shadows and shimmering white highlights. Their translucent renderings and gleaming contents reflect the relationship between past and contemporary life, enabling the viewer’s imagination to linger.