S E R E N E G R E E N

Jesse Wakenshaw

30.05.24 - 03.06.24

Materials

Scent, Soap, Plywood, Glass, Epoxy, Stainless Steel

This exhibition contains the use of olfactive components comprising of both

natural and aroma chemicals throughout the installation.

Inhale green, mind serene.

Continuing his work as an experimental olfactive artist, Jesse Wakenshaw plays on our

body’s visceral emotional tie to scent and colour. In this chapter, Wakenshaw explores the

positive experience and the profound impact green-leaning aromas and hues have on our

sensory and emotional landscape.

The exhibition focuses on two primary components that have been creatively reinterpreted

into various compositions. The first component is Galbanum, a bitter-green gum resin

known for its distinctive green, stem-like aroma. The second is Iso Butyl Quinoline, an

aroma chemical characterised by its intense green, leathery, and root-like scent. These

elements serve as the foundational notes for the olfactory experience, showcasing the

versatility and depth of green fragrances through their complex and evocative profiles.

Galbanum’s fresh and sharp greenness pairs intriguingly with the robust, earthy qualities

of Iso Butyl Quinoline, offering a diverse range of sensory impressions in the exhibition’s

different accords.

A day spent in the greenhouse.

That instinct to take a deep breath around crushed foliage.

Watery cucumber over weary eyes.

Bathing outside under a canopy of green.

Bitter green foliage crushed between the feet.

Green is a cleanser for Wakenshaw, drawing from his own experiences living with OCD

and anxiety often struggling with the actions and feelings of rumination. In Serene Green,

scent is an invisible cleansing force helping to clear rumination that one can hold stagnant

in the mind.

Wakenshaw tactfully uses the whimsical qualities of scent to dive deep into the idea of

wellness within OCD. The room is overdosed with green, overtly suggesting, akin to the

relentless compulsion to scrub oneself and touch surfaces repeatedly.

Wakenshaw’s work plays on this instantaneous physical and mental exercise, creating

tiny moments of reprieve within the scented pieces. These tiny, whimsical interludes offer

a soothing escape, much like bending down to smell the crisp aroma of foliage. Here

the audience is encouraged to come up close and personal to experience the calming

tranquillity of green, tapping into the intrinsic bond between scent and emotion.

A synthetic garden awaits.

Words by Natasha Graham @UNSW MCCL

1. Lather

Soap/Scent/Green tea

Iso Butyl Quinoline/Galbanum/Orris root/Galbex/Veramoss/Ambroxan

Soapy/Green/Fruity

2. Glasshouse

Glass Lab funnels/Plywood/Coffee Filter paper/ Scent

1.Patch-

Clearwood/Geosmin/Carrot seed/Cocoa/Fir

Mineral/Soil

2.Cucubert -

Trans - 2 Cis-6-Nonadienal/ Geosmin

Waxy/Watery

3.Thallium-

Blackcurrant leaf/Cis- 3 Hexonal/Tripal/Undercavertol/Iso E super

Juicy/Sharp/Bitter

4.Absinthe Crush-

Sweet Fennel/Spearmint/Galbanum/Tarragon/Fir/Tomato leaf/Triple/Oakmoss/Juniper/Ambroxan/

Mastic

Cooling/Aromatic

5.Canopy -

Atlas Cedarwood/Fir/Cypress/Iso e super/Cedramber/Vertofix/Birch

Conifer/Woods

3. Fluoxetine $

Pill Sleeve/Money bag/Scent

Iso Butyl Quinoline/Cedramaber/Habonolide/Ambroxon

4. Cyber flower

Found blown glass flower/Stainless steel bracket/Scent

Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol/Gardenia/Mousse De Saxe/Tuberose

Vintage/Floral/

5. Vortex

Inkjet on transparency paper

29.7 x 42.0 cm

6. Wash

Stainless Steel shower cord/Cooper threads/Epoxy resin/Agar Agar/Scent

Iso Butyl Quinoline/Oakmoss/Violet leaf/linyl acetate

Inky/Mossy

7. Green Thumb

Single channel video, Lopped, No sound Duration :

8. Cis 3 Hexanol

Wheatgrass/Stainless Steel/Glass Beaker/Agar Agar/Scent

Cis 3 Hexanol/Pandanas Tincture


Green Floor Gallery recognise that we operate our business on the land of the

Kulin Nations. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people who are the Traditional

Custodians of the land on which we work and live. We pay our deep respects to their

Elders, past and present.

Sovereignty was never ceded.

It was, and always will be Aboriginal land.


Exhibitions at Green Floor Gallery are thoughtfully curated to showcase a diversity of artistic

styles, mediums, and perspectives.

Green Floor Gallery is committed to promoting emerging talent and underrepresented voices.

Through special exhibitions, collaborations, and initiatives, we aim to shine a spotlight on artists

whose work challenges conventions and enriches our collective cultural landscape.

info@greenfloor.gallery

@greenfloorgallery