Concerning the Circumstances Favorable to the Creation of an Original Perfume

By Edmond Roudnitska, Art et Parfum, Cabris, France

Read by Paul Johnson, P. Robertet, Grasse, France

hen we reflect on the origin ofcreativity, in sively and is enriched on its course by all the W whatever field of endeavor, our thoughts ideas that have grafted themselves onto the ini­ tum first to the imagination. tial idea and onto the subsequent ones. It is the For the person who is endowed with imagina­ very nature of an active mind to be constantly at tion, everything serves as a pretext for imagin­ work and to snap up everything that eomes ing-in other words, for executing projects of the within its reach. mind in a preferred field or fields. This becomes What it is striking about the human brain is the all the more rapidly a game because being ex­ immense development of its cortex, which is the perienced in this type of gymnastic one practices organ of association for such data as are it with success and consequently with pleasure. memorized in the paleencephalon. This cortex is And the imaginative person, gifted with taste, a "combiner" of infonnation; it is what makes it will naturally be drawn in the direction of artistic possible to "imagine," because to imagine is to creation. associate the memorized data in an original man­ ner. Associations of Ideas Well classified memories are favorable to use­ The imagination operates, mainly, by associa­ ful association of ideas and it is essentially tion of ideas. The most insignificant detail-oc­ through this form of activity that our mind casionally even one that is alien to the field of evaluates, utilizes and constructs its inventions. perfumes-can trigger a first association of ideas, The expression "to have ideas" is nothing but a which can entail another such association, which succinct way of saying "to form associations of may in tum instigate a third, and so on. This is ideas." Inasmuch as these associations of ideas how the process of creation develops progres- are dependent on our mental aptitude, on the de­ gree ofstress on our memory and on the needs of Among the principles which are useful, it is the moment, a creator who strives to be effective well to recall that in an olfactory composition i5 well advised to accept the discipline of a good each component is not necessarily significant by mentlll hygiene. itself, that often it only becomes significant by Thus, the starting point for original research in way of its relationships with the other compo­ the field of perfumes is generally an association nents and particularly with the integral formula. of ideas, and at times intuition. An artist, who is It appears obvious that if the composition of by definition a sensitive person, is constantly original perfumes is to be built upon solid foun­ stirred by everything and anything, and by the dations, it is essential to have an in-depth knowl­ constant play of an imagination that permits no edge of a great number of materials and a correct regpite. Thig demongtrateg that the most difficult appreciation ofthe proportions in which they can part i5 not just having ideas but knowing how to be harmoniously blended. For these reasom, exploit them properly, how to sort them, how to good results in this activity will only be achieved CIMgity them and then to select those that are by dint of strenuous and unremitting work, with­ worthy ofbeing put into a lengthy process. out buckling under the strain. I have never failed As far as the role of intuition is concemed­ to mention this to all the young people who have intuition being a superior form of imagination, in sought me out, and they have always seemed to llrtistic creation and particularly in composing accept this oftheir own volition. perfumeg-it ig at once so essential and so subtle and requiring such meticulous explanation, that I refer the reader to the in-depth study which I Sources devoted to this faculty in my Aesthetics at Issue Generally speaking, artistic creation depends (rE.~thMique en que9tion) in which seventeen upon invention and has its origin in an idea or in pages deal with it exclusively.* an emotion and it is thus that all forms of artistic creation have many features in common, ample Working with a Method evidence of which may be found in the relation­ In the perfumer'5 research work, a methodical ships that exist between artists in different fields mind is all the more necessary because the huge of activities. What causes artistic activities to mllgg of mllterialg and their pogsible combina­ differ from one another is the matter of each art. tions entails a very high risk of haphazard and However, ifone does not actually manipulate the undisciplined sensory stresses. diverse messages of sound, of Sight or of smell by It ig from the very outset of a new career that means of related techniques, the artistic motiva­ the mind of the composer must be trained tions are nevertheless comparable and thiS is methodically, because in composition there are w hat brings about a common language to artigts no get ruleg to prevent making directional errors; and causes them to use polyvalent terms. For in­ there are only principles. Therefore, it is neces­ deed, we speakjust as meaningfully ofhot orcold gary to llvoid getting into bad habits. colors, or of a cool or warm perfume, of a hot or This lTIethod consists, among other things, in cool voice, of the fresh complexion of a woman, educating one's olfactory sense; first, by sys­ as we do of the brilliant tones of a musical score. tematic study and frequent rehersal-just as the The invention of a new perfume can have as its mugicilln mugt play scaleg--of the repertory of initial intuition a combination where particularly materials, of which new aspects are discovered noted features of the materials used have been ellch time, and occasionally new possibilities; exploited to give them an expressive value, thus 5econd, by the coherent classification (and enabling the construction of a form that one. therefore subject to revision) of these materials, might have imagined from this starting point. which classification can only be suggested to the One can also foresee giving an original direc­ beginner and left to a personal choice. It is also in tion to one or several materials, for example, by a methodical manner that one best proceeds to attempting to couple harmoniously apparently study the typical combinations of certain sub­ antagonistic notes. A flash of intuition will have 5tances, by relying on exercises that range from sufIiced to think up the conditions ofthis unusual the gimple to the complex and that increase pro­ harmony. By an effort of mental transposition the gressively in difficulty. The training of the olfac­ way will have been opened for this harmony to tory sense, and ofthe olfactory memory and ofthe take up the general form of a perfume. After this imllgination, is carried out simultaneously with general form has been imagined. it will then be these exercises. necessary to give it a concrete expression. One might still be tempted by the "long shot" ·F'resses Universitaires de France 1977, pages 100 to 117. of substituting a material that is logically barely suitable for another material in a composition in tract from it the envisaged form, a pretext for which the latter material plays a decisive role. In transforming mere words into a poem, a song or these last two cases, the creative process has an epic. been triggered by the idea ofa challenge. One of the driving forces ofcreation continues A good example in which the composition ofan to be inquisitiveness; so whatever it may be that original perfume was the result of a challenge is excites and maintains this inquisitiveness is that of Crepe de Chine. This particular instance profitable to the artist and the artist's work. involved the difficult task of incorporating high As far as chance is concerned, in my book levels of pungent aliphatic aldehydes in a deli­ Aesthetics at Issue (page 121) I pointed out that cate Coty chypre complex without upsetting it. relying only on chance in the creation of a work This success could only be accomplished with a of art is a very naive attitude. The chance occur­ very confident taste, with a consummate artistry rence is but one ofthe thousand pretexts an artist and with a professional expertise. It was neces­ can claim. Chance occurrences are legion to the sary to transform the "architecture" of Coty's extent that they no longer represent much of a chypre, which was based upon a delicately jas­ rarity. Art is knowing how to turn this to advan­ mine-!lCented atmosphere which seemed to en­ tage. velop the entire composition in a diaphanous and delightful veil. Ifone were to make excessive use Perseverance ofjasmine in a chypre composition, the only re­ To be sure, composing a perfume with artistry sult would be to make it heavy. is tantamount to assembling aromatic notes de­ Coty had already raised an unsurmountable liberately and consciously, thereby lIchieving barrier for his imitators, because no one after him unity, harmony and meaning for this assemblage, has ever been able to create a chypre as fine, as but the road to this achievement is paved with light, as ethueal as his, not even his successors, numerous failures. Just like a~lYone else I had to 9.1though they must have had his formula. pay my dues dearly for the inexperience of my It must be said to the credit of the creator of youtnful years, dues made all the heavier by seri­ Cr~pe de Chine that, not only did he succeed in ous moral and material anxieties. In those days I preserving a certain jasmine-scented aura in too had to rely partly on chance and I was no combination with a mossy background, woody luckier in this than others. notes, methylionone, and crystals but that he also Today, after so many trials, after so much effort hlId the idea of g9.mbling on an important addi­ to overcome and take advantage of them, after tion of rose in part replacement for jasmine, in more than a halfa century ofclose and passionate order to ab~lOrb a high level of aliphatic alde­ scrutiny of 'Jlfactive forms and after such a mul­ hyde!::. Logically this admixture of rose ought to tiplicity ofreflections on the ways in which they have imparted heaviness to the compound, but manifest themselves, I feel more at ease in their on the contmry it blended so well with these al­ company. With my imagination well trained now dehydes that gave it a boost and furthermore en­ to work these forms mentally, I have eliminated abled it to "marry well" with the jasmine itself, chance from my work. without detriment to its fre!::hness. The creator When I have an idea for a perfume, it immedi­ doubtless remembered the example of Ernest ately finds expression in a vision of the perfume Beaux who, while desirous of preparing a rose, constructed upon this idea-in other words, I get finally ClIme up with N° 5 by neutralizing a high a glimpse of the completed, definitive form that proportion ofaldehydes with a high proportion of the desired perfume might assume. It is with this jasmine. image in mind that I start to work. I begin, first of The creator of Cre:pe de Chine crowned this all, by writing down on my pad the names of thlJ work through the discreet admixture of styrallyl materials that already strike me lIS being lIble to acetate, which was a vigorous top note that contribute jointly to the materialisation of this helped to tone down the aldehydes, while giving image. I quickly classifY them in the order of pep and a sensuous touch that complemented the their assessed roles-that is to say, in increa!::ing original chlIracter ofthis new angle on the chypre proportions, which lays the groundwork for a theme. rough formula. I then meditate on this outline, by imagining the scent that the mixture ofthese sub­ In the majority of cases, the initial motivation stances might have. And it is then that I am actu­ of the artist is the result of a pretext, often ally in the state of mind which was described by grasped on the spur of the moment: a pretext for Henri Bergson and to which I have referred in combining colors, graphic elements, sounds, my above-mentioned chapter on intuition. It i!:: as noises, aromatic substances, a pretext for if I becom,:,: an integral part of the mixture as moulding clay or for chiselling into marble to ex­ imagined in this rough formula. I identify with it. I would be tempted to say that "I've got it under ostentation in the midst of poverty, but rllther II my skin," or that I «feel" it in the same way that a show of modesty in the midst of wealth. mother must feel the child that she is carrying. I then allow my thoughts to incubate: I keep Taste the imagined form constantly in mind and I am The second prerequisite for any llbility to on the alert for anything that might contribute to create in the field of perfumes is that ofta8te. To its becoming a reality. The process of incubation say that the composer must have taste would ap· continues for some time: the time that my pear to be a truism. To demonstrate that this taste thoughts require for clarification and for can be well formed or deformed, and that it must llliminating any such absurd notions as might be informed, enlightened and developed, is have crept in, and above all the time in which I another truism. Nevertheless, it is a vital neces­ will have impregnated myself thoroughly with sity, frequently neglected or even misun­ this form, so that it becomes "my thing" and so derstood, which explains why there is still such a that having concentrated at great length on my limited number of people with taste in a profes­ rough fonnula, I "scent" it just as if its con­ sion that ought to exalt this fllculty. stituents were already mixed under my very Ifthere are such things as inborn taste and ac­ nose. This is the moment when I am ripe for quired taste, the latter matures slowly with the writing down clearly and efficiently the formula help of a progressive patient and Willful train­ of my first «trial." ing. One must expect to see one's personal taste From here on, start a series of trials which will questioned, if one wishes to delve deeper into be all the fewer if well thought out and spaced the understanding of values and continue along out. Thus I give them tiloe to mature and con­ the path of progress. Learning to subdue one's sequently avoid discouraging false moves. pride is also an integral part of a person's educa­ At all the stages of experimel.tal work, it is the tion. Human relationships would certainly be soundness of judgment that is decisive for the easier if this education had developed in ellch of proper comprehension of the data observed, and us a love of the beautiful, an abhorrence of the a close estimation of the proportions and of their ugly, and most of all a critical sense; had these consequences that ensures the progress and suc­ reactions been made instinctive in us by means cess of the experiment. Therefore, it is of major of an inculcated moral strictness that would rule importance that this judgment be trained prop­ out any concession to ugliness, to mediocrity, to erly, that it be exercised unceasingly in order to complacency or to vulgarity; had we been trained develop it, and to put it to the test boldly and to practice, in all circumstances, the religion of without fear. It is the lack of judgment that ex­ quality through the gradual raising ofour ideal by phlins g.11 caSllS of failure and that jeopardizes the initiation to more and more beautiful works of progress. But a sound and shrewd judgment will art, thereby making us more sensitive llnd more g.1so mllke it possible to h0al any blinding vanity. Vibrantly responsive each day to every harmo­ By definition, judgment makes the investigator nious, original and expressive arrangement, to become shrewd; it allows a clear personal per­ every aesthetic value-in other words, to see to it ception ofthe relative nature ofthings, especially that our aesthetic consciousness becomes a major the relative nature of success. feeling. Thll perfumer's palette is so overcrowded, that Ifwe unfortunately observe today that taste is I have quite often emphasized the need to "l-tink disappearing, that it is being denlltured in the in simple terms and to formulate simply. This true sense of the term, this is becau8c human will make it easier to understand better the nature can no longer express itself freely. In­ numerous interactions that occur within the creasingly, and more and more universally, it i's compound. Furthermore, if the formula IS clear, being influenced, fenced in, regimented, manip­ this compound will be understood all the better ulated and subjected to violence by forces which by the public. The more encumbered the formula do not act disinterestedly, which are sometimes of a perfume, the less chance its composition has in opposition with one another, but the final ef­ of being original because it runs the risk of tend­ fect of which is to converge in such a way as to ing towards a "mille £leurs." A formula that is too deprive each of us of the freedom to think and to rich because it is overloaded with "heady" and feel. These forces come at us from all sides; e1l:pensive substances, the presence and propor­ profit-making groups, political powers, vllrious tions ofwhich are not justified from the technical pressure-exerting social groups, the herd instinct point of view, will be poor in aesthetic value. or snobbery and so on. In other words, all are True simplicity, which gives great composers tendencies to overwhelm by power or by force of that touch ofclass, is not the result ofa display of numbers. Under these circumstances, the definition of still be understood by today's public. taste-to be particularly sensitive to the relation­ I believe my answer was quite clear. !lMp!l that link the parts to the whole and to the When I refer to perfumes as works of art, I am harmony that results-becomes a mockery. not extolling this or that particular creation, and The foremost effect of the various stresses, certainly not my own. I wish simply to spea.k of more or le~~ underhanded, which are brought to perfumes that are original and well con~tructed, bear against the freedom of taste, is to alter the because these features suffice to characterize a critical sense ofhuman beings and to impair their work of art. But original and well-constructed judgment. Still the sovereign human quality perfumes are timeless, because they can be made judgment crowns all those other qualities that in all eras and in all styles, regardless of price, mliloke lilo thinking and responsible human being, since in order to create them it suffices to have free to choose and to decide. To have taste is also technical knowledge, imagination, taste and tal­ to be Mpnble of discerning the defects in a work ent. ofart, which implies being capable ofjudgment. One would truly have to hold the public in To judge a perfume is, above all else, a matter contempt to think that such perfumes would not of tliloste. Tliloste evolves under the influence of the be understood by the-pUblic today. Just which environment, but this fact must not prohibit original and well-constructed perfume, ifany, has judging the environment. Taste evolves chiefly the public rejected in our time? And which are with the a.cquisition of lea.rning, with the knowl­ those that have enjoyed a long life span on the edge of facts and of aesthetic accomplishments, market without being original and well con­ which makes it pOSSible to analyze them and to structed? I do not think that it would be possible, provoke instructive comparisons. It is thus that in all good faith, to mention a single one in either each of us can progress along the road of beauty case. No one can seriously believe that triteness, and ofart. To deny the usefulness ofthis training mediocrity or vulgarity can be a guarantee ofdur­ would be like refusing to admit that a symphony able success today, or that quality is an obstacle is better appreciated after one has studied music. to success. Those perfumes that have a long life To say only about a perfume that it is pleasant, span on the market have the necessary qualities; is to limit oneself to its sensual aspect, that is, to the ones that do not have these qualities may, judge as a glutton rather than as a gourmet. Pleas­ with much backing from advertising, create an antness is by no means negligible, but it is only illusion for a short while, but not for long because the beginning of those satisfactions that a great the cost is too high. It was a Frenchman living in perfume can offer. Beyond what is merely pleas­ the United States, Raymond Loewy, who wrote a ant, the person oftaste will seek an original form, famous book. Its title: Ugliness Sells Poorly. one that is unique and recognizable; this person This was my answer to those journalists: "For will appreciate a form all the more insofar as it is original and well-constructed perfumes to be beautiful, which is to say harmonious, and thus surpassed, it is quite simple: all that is needed is will feel more intense pleasure. more know-how, more creativity, more talent and By way of conclusion, a little anecdote. With a just as much good taste. I shall be the first to grea.t mea.sure ofcaution, so as not to run the risk rejoice if I see it happen." ofruffling my feelings, some journalists asked me one day whether I feared that my concept of Address correspondence to Edmond Roudnitska, Art et perfume as a. work of art might be a bit obsolete Parium, B. P. No.8, Cabris, 06530 Peymeinade, France. these days. and whether I thought that it might

Reprinted from April/May 1984 Perfumer & Flavor/st, Vol. 9, No.2, p. 127