This is a photograph by a young French photographer who I particularly like called Marianne Maric. Her work is a mixture of the brutal, the sensual and the surreal.

Hopefully you will be seeing a lot more from her soon...

I love this picture of our extremely stylish production manager Ms Amy Ireland enjoying some very fine company at London Fields last weekend.

The full story featuring more pictures by Damian Weilers is due to be released in 1814 Magazine early next year.

On sweat:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090108101625.htm

Love sissel

Sissel sent me the link to this interesting article;

http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2009/02/22/style/t/index.html#pagewanted=0&pa

geName=22burr&

Dear Nick, yes the topic pheromones is of great importance!!!!!

The word "pheromone" comes from the Greek words perein=transmit and

hormon=stimulate. A pheromone is a messenger of stimulation that tells us

when and where we should gather and then separate. It tells us how we should

behave toward the other sex and how we should know whether it is in fact the

other sex. Pheromones tell us how to organize the members of a society in a

structure befitting their dominance; they mark the exact borders of a

territory. They also tell us how we can be sure beyond a doubt that we are

ourselves.

Pheromones regulate power relationships, association and above all - SEX.

Pheromones provide unconscious data from an arsenal of information that can

be decisive for the course of human communication.

Considering the flood of pheromone communication that reaches us directly,

it is no wonder that  Western society, cut off from smell perception and

over-deodorized as it is, tries to stimulate sexual attractiveness and

activity with the help of artificial pheromones. This is doomed to failure

because it is like cutting down the forest in order to plant trees.

As human beings (men and women) we have the ability to sense certain

chemical signals emitted by people around us—without being aware of it? We

use a separate set of sensory receptor cells in our nose to receive social

and sexual information from members of our own species.

Testosterone is a hormone produced primarily in men's testes. The adrenal

glands of both men and women also produce small amounts of testosterone.

In men, testosterone produces sperm, facial and body hair, deep voices, and

muscle mass and strength.

Testosterone is associated with two behaviors in males: aggressive dominance

of other males, and sexual activity. E.g., male red deer live peacefully

together for most of the year. But in October their testosterone increases

five-fold. They fight for territory. Female red deer select land that has

sufficient food for raising fawns. The males that control the best

territories mate with the most females.

Testosterone is an anti-depressant, in men and women. It increases

friendliness. It reduces anger, depression, fatigue, confusion, nervousness,

and irritability.

That may seem contradictory-testosterone makes males fight, yet makes them

friendly. Testosterone makes males want to mate. If fighting precedes

mating--e.g., gorillas--testosterone makes males fight. But if mating

requires friendship e.g., baboons- testosterone makes males friendly.

Testosterone varies between men more than four times. Football players have

the most testosterone. Ministers have the least.

Bacteria and fungi live on your skin and in your clothes. These organisms

drink your sweat and digest your discarded skin cells. Their excretions make

you smell . That's body odour.

Body odour can provide be interesting signs of a specific state of mind as

well as or of a more serious medical condition.

When our "fighters" fight and sweat, we smell these molecules that live on

their skin, mixed with their sweat. Each human body have a body smell as

unique as their fingerprint - in sweat this is what we smell underneath the

external molecules that live on the surface of the skin.

New research has shown that some individuals are highly sensitive to

smelling a component of body odour which is called androstenone.

Furthermore, if the person can easily smell androstenone then he will decide

whether or not he likes the person based on the smell. What is androstenone?

It is a human pheromone which is a chemical attractant that is found in body

secretions like perspiration. Men release large quantities of androstenone

while women omit small amounts. So men are more likely to be judged by their

smell than women. According to the study, fifty percent of people the

population cannot smell androstenone at all and one half of them can only

catch a whiff and enjoy the scent. Those who can smell androstenone, on the

other hand, do not like the smell and compare it to urine or perspiration.

The study went on to show that there was a correlation between the ability

to smell androstenone and the androstenone-smeller's judgment of the person.

In other words, if someone can smell androstenone on someone else and finds

the smell unpleasant then he will dislike the person, or may be not……….

Attached acouple of artickle on the topic!

SORRY I DID NOT MEAN TO WRITE A BOKK........but the topic is what it is all

about!!!! = INVISIBLE COMMUNICATION

Speak soon!

Love SisselXXX

Dear Sissel,

The Violence 2 is a lot more interesting than the first prototype.

My first impression was that there was something more animal about it. It smelt more menacing/ dangerous and I wondered if it was my desire to feel this or wether there was the beginning of a instinctive reaction to the smell.

Our theory is that when men (or indeed women,but that is part two of this project) fight they release pheromones that are only released when the "fight or flight"response is activated. Furthermore the pheromones we are trying to isolate are the one that would be released if the individual opts for the "fight" option rather than the "flight" option.

Now, are we supposing that these pheromones will have a smell and it is that that our scent would predominantly smell of? Or are they an ingredient within the overall scent and that we create a "pleasing" scent that may smell mainly of pleasing  but appropriate smells, such as leather or brick dust for example and that the pheromones that we isolate are undetectable and are there to trigger a behavioral response in the wearer or the people that the wearer comes into contact with?

I am talking to a fighter and friend of mine about organizing a two day shoot in London at my studio. We would have 4 bouts , with eight contestants all different forms of combat.

The shoot would be broadcast live on SHOWstudio and would I will film it and photograph it as-well .It would be crucial to have you there so we can be sure of getting the pheromones extracted immediately after the fight has taken place. Also you can stipulate exactly how you want the fighters prepared for each fight. For example should they be freshly showered and with no other scents on them at all?

I am looking at dates around the beginning of March, probably the first week.

Can you tell me when you would be free to come to London around then and also can you bring the "Headspace " technology to London or will the Tshirts have to go back to Berlin?

Anyway there are lots of other exciting ideas i have about the shoot but I will talk to you later.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Love,

Nick

---------------------------------

SORRRYYYY for the late respond! I was travelling.

 First I wanted to discuss dates in London,

the rest will come today on a separate mail :-)

 The ONLY time I could possibly make it to London could be 7th,8th,9th of

March and may be the 6th. Then only after Eastern ( mid April).

In case I manage to get the possibility to bring headspace, this also would

need time and organization,

So PLEASE give me some potential dates from your side ASAP11

All the very best!

Love

Sissel

Dear Sissel,

yes I received it this morning as I was leaving the house.I had a quick smell. Interesting.A lot of chemical smell which I guess is some sort of solvent.

Under that was a bit sweaty man. Old and a bit unpleasant and musty.I didn't detect anything dangerous yet.Do you think the fighters should be clean before they start?

Tell me what did you think? What did you think I should smell.

Love

Nick

____________________________________________________________________

Dear Nick, 

Let me describe how  I precented the first sweat:

I think the person who "fought" - " " meaning I think he was too

programmed/too intellectual prepared for the fight. He was TOO clean

beforehand, kind of fresh from the shower. I could hardly smell ANY sweat,

and the headspace hardly able to identify any molecules. I could kind of

smell some chemical, which I identified as having to do with clothes worn

before fighting. These cloths were rather synthetic......

Also I think he was fighting without passion - producing no adrenaline.

The small amount of smell that came over was pretty dull and contained very

little/hardly any information!

I think the second one is already much better.......in process these days!!

It is VERY important that the "fighters" do not "overclean" themselves

before fighting. Also I think that the more professional they get the less

"REAL" sweat they produce.

Nick I do not know on behalf of which criteria you choose the fighters, and

what kind of "rules" you are able to give them in advance?!

I think we seriously have to discuss these topis before the next fights

otherwise we might end up with very littel - for our intentions -

information = smells to work with.

I am sure we will find a way, this is just the beginning.

The impossible is nothing!

Headspace Images will take time, due to IFF Crises!!! SORRRYYYY! But we will

have them in the end, I HOPE!!!!

All the very best

Love

Sissel

 

Subject: Fragrance Violence - wholesale inquiry

Hi Nick

I am inquiring about your upcoming Fragrance, Violence.

Are you offering it for wholesale?

We are a specialy boutique in Hollywood, specializing in rare, artisan

perfumes from around the world. Our store, Scent Bar, has been open for 3

years, in response to our popular website, luckyscent.com, now going on 8

years.

I would love to learn more and see if you can perhaps send a sample for

evaluation.

Also, I can help organize a shipment with our shipping company.

Best regards,

Franco Wright

Co founder

 

Dear Kev,

I have just sent you an email regarding a perfume bottle.

It is part of an ongoing project on SHOWstudio and for this I am  

producing a blog/diary following every step of producing this scent.

I would like to put your response to my email on SHOWstudio, would  

that be ok?

Nick

______________________________________________________________

Hi Nick

We can make a prototype of the perfume bottle, I would suggest the most cost

effective route would be to use a rapid prototyping (3D Printing) method

known as SLA this is a liquid polymer cured with an Ultra Violet laser.

SLA is very similar to clear Perspex.

The first things we need to establish are as follows.

1) The fist, female or male? The best route would be to take a cast of a

real person making a fist using dental alginate and plaster and then scan

it.

2) The outer shape of the bottle, you specified 2.5 inches square, am I to

assume the outer shape is pure 2.5 inch cube?

3) The cap, is the cap to form part of the entire outer shape? Or is it to

be a different shape? A quick sketch of what you envisage would be a good

place to start.

4) What size would you expect the fist to outer shape relationship to be?

I.e. small fist with lots of wall thickness, large fist with thin wall

thickness, again a quick sketch would be a good idea or we could prepare the

fist and produce some renders with the fist different sizes within the cube

for you to decide the inner outer size relationship.

5) Does the cap need to be removed and the bottle fully functional?

6) Do you expect to be able to put liquid in the bottle? If so it may need

to be a coloured water as a real perfume may affect the acrylic because it

contains alcohol.

If you want it to be made in actual glass then I would suggest you deduct

the SLA cost and talk to someone like Swarovski or Saint Goban.

Saint Goban are a Parisian glass company that make perfume bottles for most

of the known perfume companies as well as a huge percentage of Europe's

glass.

http://www.saint-gobain.co.uk/

 Approximate costs.

Initial 3d concept model and renders. L300:00

Casting the fist.

Assuming you send someone to me to use for the cast. L250:00

Scan the fist.

L350:00

3d model the bottle.

Assuming it has a screw cap and will be fully functional. L350:00

SLA model of the Bottle.

Very approximate we can only get an accurate price when the 3d model is

ready to send to the RP Company.

L550:00

Total

L1800:00

Yes it is fine to blog it.

Regards

Kev Stenning

SHOWstudio is put together by a very small team of amazing devoted and highly inspiring individuals. A hand full of real diamonds that I have been privileged to have worked with. Never has the sheer ambitiousness or size of a project or the fact that it has never been done before or that it would normally only be attempted with 10 times as many staff or 100 times the budget ever stopped them from creating the most brilliant projects.

In such a small team the character of the individual members is all-important. Paul Bruty has for seven years been one of the most consistently positive and delightfully enthusiastic people I have worked with. His willingness to accept any challenge in a calm and elegant way made working with him a total delight for myself and everyone else at SHOWstudio. I knew that inside he was wrestling the difficulties of each project just like the rest of us but not once did he allow it to darken his mood or manifest itself in a negative way. No dramas, no tantrums just a constant outpouring of elegant and and intelligent problem solving. Paul helped take the feelings of anxiety and worry out of equation for me. He made enjoyable events that in other hands could have been nerve-wracking and stressful. He helped make SHOWstudio an addictive pleasure for me by unassumedly removing the difficult parts, only to turn them into beautiful, refined and modern layouts. The internet can be an ugly place and Paul helped us make SHOWstudio beautiful.

One facet that might have gone by unmentioned but seem in some way to give a fuller picture of Paul, it is a constant regret I have that I could never quite find a project that allowed me to broadcast on SHOWstudio Paul's amazing Bird-Feeder-Cam. He lived in Central London, but the range of beautiful birds that he had images of feeding at this device was a total joy to see, Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, Green Finches and Goldfinches all came and preformed for Paul's camera.

Paul is leaving with his lovely wife Tamara to live in her home country of Australia. My hope is that I can invent the project that allows me to persuade Paul to set up the Australian version of his Bird-Feeder-Cam and so we can see what must be a truly wonderful selection of antipodean birds and in so doing also gives me the pleasure of working with this utterly charming man again.

Thank you Paul.

The first of the T-shirts for the fighters has arrived from Berlin. Sealed in its plastic bag, it is now just waiting for the date of Ryan's fight.

Dear Sissel,

I was just wondering, once i send you back the Tshirt, what exactly are the next steps? How long before we have our first results?

I enjoyed being able to post your link to the Evil lecture ,if you have any other reference material please send it through and i will post it on the process blog.

I am looking forward to receiving the first tshirt. Do we have to credit Zimmerli?

love,

 Nick

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[quote]

[/quote]

Hi there, sweatshirts go out today, with instructions etc. - to Sweden and

UK.

SisselX

Dear Nick thought this talk is quite interesting, may be to put the link on

the blog.

"How ordinary people becomes Monsters.....or Heroes"  - Philip Zimbardo:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/philip_zimbardo_on_the_psychology_of_evil

.html

SXXX

-----------------------------------

Sissel Tolaas

Dear Sissel,

How are you? I hope you have seen that the project blog is open.

I have contacted Frank in Sweden who has agreed to organize a fight and I have contacted someone who boxes for the English team who I think will do it too.

I will put out a general note on SHOWstudio and see what response we get. I know we only need a few but I would like enough of a choice to take the best ones.

I am asking anybody who takes part to film the actual fight if possible. I don't know what I will do with the footage yet but I would like to have proof that they actually fought in the tshirt.

 

How do we proceed? It might be best if you send me the tshirts in their sealed bags and I send them on to the fighters with instructions and get them to return them back to me with their video. Then I courier the tshirt in its bag straight back to you in Berlin for you to start your chemistry? Anyway email me back your thoughts.

All the best

Nick

Dear Nick ,YES I got all and it looks GREAT!!! I am collecting some great stuff I will send the next days. Also I am on the T-Shirts, and I agree the best would be toT-Shirt in process ASAP as I have them I will pack them in Plastic bag with a short instruction: TO USE!

And the process of RETURN.

And they should be send me ASAP after used, and I will immediate start the tracking of the molecules etc. and slowly the making of the samples. The exact process of work and also the act of receiving etc. I will document and send you, also to be put on the blog , or what do you think?. I have found some interesting material/links on the topic of violence and also one interesting talk on the topic of evil......what do you think shall we also put these things on the blog = the process/the research/the search etc.

Speak SOOONNNN!

Love

SisselX