American artist Sarah Schwartz, a graduate of the Chicago Art Institute, has been exploring the world of conceptual art since the 1970s, working with marble, bronze, and granite. Her journey into olfactory art began with a fascination for using soap as an artistic medium. “At first, it was inexpensive and I could do it,” Schwartz recalls. “I could make a mistake and throw it away, and it cost pennies.” This hands-on experimentation led her to craft and stamp soaps as personal gifts for friends and family.
The “Proverbs” soap series represented Schwartz’s inaugural foray into the art world as a business. This collection was distinctive for its innovative concept of embedding contrasting messages within each soap, such as "vice" on one side and "virtue" on the other, and other pairings like "wisdom" and "folly" or "lust" and "horror." Schwartz’s work delved into the interplay of dualities, pairing scents like vice and virtue with rose, ecstasy and purity with iris, and sex and panic with orange. “I create ephemeral objects imbued with meaning,” Schwartz explains, emphasizing the soap’s thematic focus on dichotomies and the relationship between physical cleanliness and spiritual purity.
Schwartz favored glycerin for its rich lather and excellent rinsing properties, and its translucent quality resonated with her conceptual approach. “The translucent quality has everything to do with the concepts behind the words,” she notes, highlighting how the soap’s clarity allows messages to be read from multiple perspectives.
By 1992, Schwartz expanded her creative efforts into a commercial venture with a line of embossed soaps available in specialty boutiques. She soon began casting custom molds in various shapes, including rings, bowls, frogs, and cherubs. “I find that I'm trying to work on uncompromised art, things that have meaning for me, that have some impact on the world,” Schwartz says. Her creations, while aesthetically pleasing, were intended to transcend mere functionality.
Drawing inspiration from Jenny Holzer’s tradition, Schwartz gained recognition for her sculptural and engraved translucent soaps. She was committed to using high-quality ingredients, including glycerin, aloe vera, and vitamin E, and her soaps were priced between $10 and $70. They were prominently featured in Barney's New York and Collette's in Paris, and actress Goldie Hawn was known to be a notable admirer.
In her New York studios, Schwartz crafted intricate reproductions of iconic forms, such as the Venus of Willendorf, symbolizing her exploration of decadence and fertility, and the Akua'Ba, a Ghanaian fertility goddess made from glycerin. She also created multi-colored cherub sculptures designed to dissolve in the shower, further showcasing her diverse and imaginative artistic vision.
Readers familiar with the iconic yellow bar of soap featured on the cover of Chuck Palahniuk's novel Fight Club might be surprised to learn that this soap was actually created by Proverbial Inc., Sarah Schwartz's company. The soap, prominently displayed on the cover, became a symbol of the novel's themes of rebellion and identity, further showcasing Schwartz's knack for creating objects imbued with deeper meanings. This collaboration underscores the cultural reach and impact of Schwartz's artistic endeavors beyond the traditional art world.
Perfume Veils:
Schwartz established Proverbial Inc. and immersed herself in the perfumery arts, including a notable visit to Grasse, France, the historical hub of fragrance creation. Operating independently, Schwartz and her team managed the entire production process, from labeling bottles to filling samples in a modest space on Manhattan’s Warren Street. With realistic expectations, she set a sales goal of $100,000 for the first year, though she remained open to the possibility of achieving more.
In 1995, Schwartz unveiled her signature perfume line, Perfume Veils, at the Sonnabend art gallery in New York. This collection features three evocative fragrances—Pure/Deceit, Lucid/Agony, and Beauty/Ravish—each reflecting Schwartz’s exploration of unconscious dualities. Crafted by the perfumers at Florasynth, these fragrances were designed to be worn individually, layered, or discreetly applied, deviating from the contemporary trend of light and fresh scents. Schwartz aimed for a more sensual and substantial olfactory experience, stating, “I wanted them to be sexier, with more body.”
The launch at Sonnabend Gallery included displays of Schwartz's art alongside bowls filled with miniature versions of the scents. Following their debut, the fragrances were introduced at Barney's New York and specialty shops across the United States, retailing at $50 for a 2-ounce bottle. Internationally, Perfume Veils were available at Space NK in London, and Schwartz explored additional distribution opportunities in Paris.
In 1995, Sarah Schwartz announced her intention to expand her artistic endeavors with the introduction of three scented candles, set to debut in the fall of 1996. By 1999, the price of the Perfume Veils lined dropped to $30 per 2 ounce bottle, and the scented candles and soaps were available in museum shops and fine gift boutiques.
In 2000, Proverbial Inc. held an open house/sample sale featuring hand-cast soaps, perfume veils, then-popular pure rubber band bracelets and more.
However, Proverbial Inc., the company behind her innovative Perfume Veils, faced financial difficulties and ultimately went out of business. As a result, the Perfume Veils have become exceedingly rare and difficult to locate today, making them prized finds for collectors and enthusiasts.
Bottles & Packaging:
Each fragrance in Sarah Schwartz's Veils collection is encased in clear telescopic glass tubes, enveloped in dark violet matte paper. The paper is adorned with two silver labels featuring informational text in Scala Sans font, contributing to the collection's sophisticated and understated aesthetic.
The bottles themselves are crafted from two-ounce cylinder flint glass, and each is elegantly etched with the fragrance name. Accompanying this is a second, blurred word visible through the liquid, which reveals the fragrance names as Pure/Deceit, Lucid/Agony, and Beauty/Ravish. This design reflects Schwartz’s exploration of “dualities and contradictions” within the unconscious. Despite the varied champagne hues of the perfume, the underlying darkness of each scent is subtly hinted at through the design.
The packaging embodies a refined and open-ended sophistication, deliberately avoiding the romantic or floral conventions often seen in fragrance lines. This conceptual approach ensures that the packaging complements rather than overshadows the product, maintaining a minimalist yet impactful presence.
The bottles are topped with a 20-millimeter crimp cap, featuring raised palladium twice-fired identification, and a valois crimp fragrance pump with a silver finish and actuator, adding a touch of elegance to the overall presentation.
The bottles rest on a raw aluminum plinth, which is distinguished by blade cut marks, tooled recesses for the bottles, and stamped identifiers. The plinth is finished with a felt base, providing both stability and a refined touch.
The outer packaging is a two-piece telescoping tube made from spiral-wound liner board, with curl and disc ends. Wrapped in an ultra blue plain material with a .007 thickness, the tube’s labeling uses Scala Sans font, ensuring a clean and modern aesthetic. The packaging design was spearheaded by Sarah Schwartz, with consulting by Jilly Simons from Concrete.
Fragrance Compositions:
Perfume Veils introduces an olfactory journey with its globally sourced ingredients, each fragrance offering a distinct top note while sharing a common middle and base composition.
As you experience "Pure/Deceit," the bright, citrusy top note of Italian neroli unfolds with its sweet, honeyed facets, evoking the lush groves of Italy where these delicate orange blossoms are harvested. The heart of the fragrance reveals a complex blend of spices and herbs. You encounter the warm, aromatic spiciness of Ceylon cinnamon, its rich and nuanced scent mingling with the sharper, more pungent notes of Chinese cinnamon. The Spanish origanum adds a hint of savory depth, while the basil from the Comoros Islands brings a refreshing, green, and slightly spicy undertone. As you delve deeper, the cooling spearmint from China provides a crisp, invigorating contrast to the warm clove bud from Jamaica, whose sweet and spicy aroma evokes the essence of tropical spice markets. The fragrance is grounded by the earthy, woody notes of French cypress and the subtle, floral nuances of Brazilian bois de rose. Lavender from France offers a calming, herbal quality, while holy frankincense imparts a resinous, sacred depth.
In "Lucid/Agony," the top note of damascena rose from Turkey enchants with its opulent, velvety aroma. This rose has a deep, complex scent that balances sweetness with a hint of spiciness. As the fragrance evolves, the same heart notes emerge: the rich, aromatic blend of Ceylon and Chinese cinnamon, the savory warmth of Spanish origanum, and the green freshness of Comoros basil. The sharpness of spearmint and the warmth of Jamaican clove bud create a fascinating interplay, supported by the woody French cypress and the subtly floral bois de rose. Lavender from France adds a soothing touch, while holy frankincense contributes an ancient, meditative quality.
"Beauty/Ravish" opens with the exotic, floral top note of ylang ylang from the Comoros Islands. Its intoxicatingly sweet and slightly spicy aroma envelops you in a warm, sensual embrace. The heart of this fragrance presents the same captivating blend of spices and herbs: the warm, enveloping scents of Ceylon and Chinese cinnamon, the herbal richness of Spanish origanum, and the green, slightly spicy basil from Comoros. The cooling spearmint and spicy clove bud, combined with the woody notes of French cypress and Brazilian bois de rose, create a rich, multi-layered aroma. Lavender from France adds a touch of calm, while holy frankincense offers a profound, spiritual depth.
All three fragrances converge on a shared base of sandalwood from India, its creamy, warm woodiness providing a luxurious foundation. Moroccan cedar wood adds a dry, resinous character, while French vanilla infuses a sweet, creamy depth. Indonesian patchouli introduces an earthy, slightly sweet richness, binding the base notes into a harmonious, enduring finish.
Top notes:
Pure/Deceit: Italian neroli
Lucid/Agony: Damascena rose from Turkey
Beauty/Ravish: Ylang ylang from Comoros Islands
Middle notes:
Cinnamon from Ceylon, cinnamon from China, origanum from Spain, basil from Comoros Islands, spearmint from China, clove bud from Jamaica, cypress from France, bois de rose from Brazil, lavender from France, holy frankincense.
Base notes:
Sandalwood from India, cedar wood from Morocco, vanilla from France, patchouli from Indonesia.
