general thoughts

not really sure

Yesterday’s post brought up another question: are the criteria for what is a “grand parfum” changing over time? And if so: What would the changes be? I answered to Marianne’s comment but am not entirely sure about my answer. I feel, that the criteria may stay, but the weight we give each criteria might change. Thus Roudnitska’s criteria remain intact, but their mutual importance and weight might be subject to changes. What was voluminous yesterday might be weepy  today and what is character today might be over the top tomorrow.

Of course, this brings us right into the heart of many other questions, such as: In which direction are we heading these days? What do we find beautiful and grand and why? I am convinced that all creations of mankind have to be considered in their context. The context of today is: We live in a multiverse, although already close to 1 bio people are unified on facebook, we are fragmented like never before, physically very isolated,  we consume and appreciate things in a long tail and we live the longer the more without historical context as the new media flood all levels of our cultural palimpsest that might allow us reaching back into our past.

In a sense, the new media, we as contributing part of the new media, flood ourselves with pseudo news allowing us not to think about where we come from and where we are heading. As a dear friend of mine mentioned the other day: We are amusing us to death, but in a different way than anticipated.

Anyhow, while we are still amusing us:  I still wonder how to define the Roudnitska criterium “character” of a perfume today. I guess by looking back in time the question finds an answer.

Today’s picture shows you a scan of a ripe chestnut, found yesterday on the river where I had lunch. A promise for a spring with new sprouts.