In this episode, we speak with Debra Riley Parr about her research in scent studies and especially the cultural significance of fragrance and odors as both indexes of hierarchy and means of resistance against them. Debra is Associate Professor Emerita of Art and Design History and Theory at Columbia College Chicago.
Sources / Show Notes
In the episode, Debra refers to many scholars and artists working in olfactory studies. Perfumer and cultural historian Nuri McBride offered the workshop that Debra mentions at the top of the show. She also mentions The feminist art and activist collective Hilma’s Ghost, which has conducted several exhibitions and workshops on spell jars, including those that are meant to ward off the evil spirits now haunting the streets of many cities under the banner of protecting the homeland. If you are interested in checking out more academic analyses of this intersection of smells, spells, and resistance, check out Olfactory Art and the Political in an Age of Resistance, which she co-edited with Gwenn-Aël Lynn. It is currently on sale.
Credits
Cover art: The image for this episode comes from an illustrated version of Malleus Maleficarum, which is also known as The Hammer of Witches, a fifteenth century treatise about witchcraft to which Debra refers in our conversation.
Hosts: Madhurima Chakraborty madhurimachakraborty.net, Sean Johnson Andrews breakingculture.substack.com
Show music: composed by Kris Stokes krisstokes.com
