bimbo, the elephant
When in my first years on planet earth, there was bimbo, the elephant. It would follow me everywhere, protect me and make sure that I was safe in a suspicious world. “Jö, how sweet”, we might say, feeling incredibly superior and yet, our bimbo elephants are right there and we do not even bother hiding them.
Bimbo elephant 40 years ago was mystical, a fetish in a positive sense, an object with magical power, transforming dangerous places and giving the comfort of company in a world where we are ultimately all alone.
40 years later, we see bimbo again. We see its form and colour and we can feel its aura the closer we get. It is more than just an object, it is promise of company and happiness at first sight. We touch it and by establishing this physical contact our senses are engaged. We feel cold metal and glass, texture, colours, pictures and text. We sniff it, rub it, test it, and want to take it home. Because it has become more than an object. We know its history. We know the creators. We know about its authenticity.
— I had the idea for this post when watching a story about fetish puppets of an American indian tribe on Arte TV. But basically, their story was that fetish objects can be anything. As this is a perfumery blog…imagine yourself in your preferred perfumery and buying xyz…..
Establishing this emotional link between objects and its buyers is hard to plan and even harder to reach. It is a result of the interaction of a variety of sensual impressions, overlaid with pre-existing images and knowledge about an object. Key for an object to gain this fetish status is-among other things- authenticity. Hard to reach these days….—
Doing so, taking bimbo home, and carrying it with us in the days to follow, we find the comfort of knowing where we belong to. We feel safe, even in places and circumstances where we are not safe, and we bind us, emotionally, very directly to a thing. Loosing this thing might lead to tears.
Hello bimbo world.
I want an iPhone! What is your bimbo elephant of today?
June 27th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
In object relations psychology those pillows or blankets or bimbo elephants that help us feel at home wherever we go are referred to as “transitional objects.” Supposedly they help us take the warmth and security of mother with us as we begin to explore the world. For me scent has always played that function–no matter how young I was or old I’ve gotten. Maybe now the scent is not an extension of mother but of an environment of my own choosing. If I wear a fragrance I love, I’m keeping a bit of peace and beauty around myself no matter what hard knocks the day may bring me. Peace and beauty to you, dear Andy.
June 27th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
There can be we try to create own Paradise?
Snorting and… The moment of happiness to last and remains with us. And can we subconsciously we search for all life a smell of mother? Or we try to recollect through a smell the last lives?
Andy - kiki has made indelible impression in Siberia. Me have woken, that I have immediately made the order.:) I so am glad for Vero
June 28th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Andy, I have been thinking (magical thinking that is) a lot lately because I have been painting in egg tempera. This medium is full of magical references. Eggs symbolize life and fertility. And, the powders you mix with the egg yolk are crushed gemstones like lapis lazuli from Egypt and Afganistan, Caput Mortuam which used to be made from real ground up mummies! When I paint with egg tempera it makes me feel connected to the divine which I suppose fetishes do as well. Fetishes remind us of the spirit world and were thought to embody the spirit of the animal represented. I love what Maria B. said about the transitional objects helping us in the cruel world. I say…whatever it takes to bring peace and tranquility to our lives, do it! I think of perfumes in this way too. I choose what I am going to wear during the day sometimes based on the aura it creates for me. Hmmm, I will think about this some more!
June 28th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Dear Maria
I can tell you that yesterday, W. and me, we were discussing for about half an hour on your comment. W. found it fitting, and much more true than my post… well, in a sense he is right, I guess. For me, lingering behind the screen and salivating when thinking in iphones, I guess a transitional object is my labtop and a far away iphone.
I was touched very much when you mentioned mother, because I did not think about it, but bimbo elephant and mother are closely linked,indeed. Thank you.
Dear Vladimir,
I am convinced that mother -again!- has much to do with our desperate search for the fragrances. These scents are the scents that bring to live our past and desire. And one of our desires is to be there again, in the cosy embracing of our mothers.
Dear Kelley, I did not know about mummy colours! Wow. Imagine! Now, that the mummy of Hatschepsut has recently been re-discovered, imagine what would have happened…you could be painting with dust of Hatschepsut.
I think the two of us will do more thinking….