Power, Corruption & Lies
Maison Anonyme X 2GoodLuck
Talismans by L
December 3 – 31, 2021
In early 2019, perfumer Christopher Gordon and Sylvia Carlock, the force behind ritual and magical goods supplier 2GOODLUCK, set out to create fragrances that would support and magnify the goals of the practitioners she served. Dissatisfied with the scents available from conventional sources, she turned to MAISON ANONYME to reimagine the perfuming of ceremonial oils and related products.
Over the last three years, Gordon has created 23 fragrances, all of which can be found in Botanicas across Southern California, and beyond. The scents he designed for Carlock bring the scents used in spiritual practices into the realm of fine fragrance with deeply-researched compositions that respect tradition while adding a level of sophistication rarely found in such products.
Creating scents for oils, perfumes and candles such as Abrecaminos, Lengua de Perro, and Ven Dinero Rapido, among others, and guided by Carlock’s vision to ensure the integrity of the results, Gordon has expanded the vocabulary of fine fragrance by incorporating subject matter that exists outside the mainstream of commercial perfumery. Applying classical technique to the compositions used in ritual practice, he exalts and honors rich and varied traditions.
In addition to the fragrances in various formats, three talismans created by Los Angeles-based artist L will also be exhibited. Gordon and L have exhibited fragrances and spells together previously at galleries in New York, Brussels, and Los Angeles, as well as including scent in rituals held at The Getty Center, Los Angeles and the Roman amphitheater in Plovid, Bulgaria as part of events surrounding the European Capital of Culture 2019.
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ABOUT THE ARTISTS
CHRISTOPHER GORDON
Christopher Gordon is a perfumer whose house, MAISON ANONYME, is currently the subject of a 5-year survey exhibition at Los Angeles gallery Shoot the Lobster. With a background in the fine arts, his other collaborations include fragrances for A.S.T.R.A.L.O.R.A.C.L.E.S, the DualForces Product GroupTM and artist Joe Merrell, as well as numerous projects for fragrance brands internationally.
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SYLVIA CARLOCK
Sylvia Carlock has been publishing occult and dream books since 1995 and began selling candles, spell kits, perfumes, oils and other ritual products shortly thereafter. Her company, 2GOODLUCK, is based in Lake Elsinore, California, and supplies products related to many faiths, including Christian, Catholic, Santeria, Voodoo, Judaism, Palo Mayombe, Witchcraft, Santa Muerte, and more.
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L
L is a Los Angeles based alchemist that creates spells, rituals and transcendental technologies for the individuals they work with. To create these talismanic spell vessels, L has drawn upon their lifelong practice of folk and ceremonial magic, and esotericism. L is also an Oracle in the international open-source metaphysics community A.S.T.R.A.L.O.R.A.C.L.E.S.
ABOUT THE IAO GALLERY
IAO Gallery is a dedicated gallery space within the Institute for Art and Olfaction that is devoted to experimental work with scent and olfactory art. Founded in September 2012 in Los Angeles, The Institute for Art and Olfaction is a 501(c)3 non-profit devoted to advancing public access to the practice of working with scent. The gallery builds on our former IN_LAB residency and exhibition program, relaunched in the wake of COVID-19.