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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Fifty Three: creating energy through tension > Sniffing heaven and hell, Ben Tre, Vietnam, 2008
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01-JAN-2008

Sniffing heaven and hell, Ben Tre, Vietnam, 2008

This lady sells a fruit known as durian at the Ben Tre market. It apparently doesn't taste as bad as it smells. Some liken its odor to vomit, yet describe its taste as rich custard, flavored with almonds. The food writer Richard Sterling describes its odor as a blend of "pig shit, turpentine, and onions -- flavored by a gym sock." Durian is very popular in Southeast Asia, but it is banned from hotels, subways, airports and public transportation in many places. How does one make a photograph of a smell? We must find an expression that best defines it. This woman is obviously used to it – she seems almost ready to kiss its incongruously spiky surface. I leave a channel of black negative space between nose and fruit, creating anticipation and tension, and in the process, daring the viewer to smell it along with her.

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Phil Douglis18-Aug-2009 18:50
I can see how you are reminded of Frida Kahlo's imagery here. The fruit here is surreal in appearance, and Kahlo used surrealistic fruit in some of her paintings, such as this one:

Kahlo's art is full of pain, and while a bad smell is not painful, it is not pleasant. And finally, Kahlo often uses tension in her work, and this image is based on tension. Thanks, Jen, for making this connection. I am honored to be mentioned in the same breath as this remarkable painter.
Jennifer Zhou18-Aug-2009 14:57
Somehow this image reminds of mexican artist frida kalo's work.
The fact that the woman's face is so close to the fruit, creates the tension here. I feel it's almost piercing into my skin. And the crack on the fruit leaving you no choice but smell that smell. But the lady seems love it and love it all. Very bizarre moment but works really well in this gallery.
Phil Douglis19-Jan-2008 20:57
Yes, it is impossible to miss. The whole area stinks.
monique jansen19-Jan-2008 10:01
Nicely observed - did you get close enough to smell it?
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