Who Am I?
It feels particularly fitting for a philosopher to be asked the question of who they are - but I am neither a philosopher of metaphysical identity or the existential, so I will promptly bracket inquiries of this sort.
But what I do believe is that we are disposed to imaginative activity, and for me the inclination is strong. I live a life with a firm sense of the aesthetic. Here I draw upon the original Greek root of the term - aisthētikos - in order to present a double meaning: a life dominated by the experiences of the sense perceptions, and a life dominated by the pursuit of understanding taste. This does not necessarily refer to the value-laden and antagonistic notion of ‘good’ taste, but to the punctuating moments within our personal narratives that eventually form our sense of self and being.
I am passionate about food, wine, and perfume. If I were to characterise my approach to perfumery, I am interested in its genealogical aspects - I like to know how creativity begins and spreads and how novel forms take hold. My penchant for French food, beyond its decadence, can also be attributed to its highly classified and systematised nature. For this reason, if I had to work in a French brigade-style kitchen, I would be a Saucier. And as Richard E. Grant’s character proclaims in Posh Nosh (2003): “I’ve seen the future, and it’s sauce!'“
The great irony of my existence is that I like to think deeply about things that I claim need not be thought about deeply. This creates a gap between what is felt and what can be thought, and so long as I exist in the space of this gap, I am perpetually motivated to do both - to think and to feel.
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My favourite poet is Frank O’Hara, as I like the way he percieves the quaintness of personalia, elevating them onto the level of the sacred.
I have many favourite books, but without a doubt my favourite fiction author is William Somerset Maugham.
There are many academic texts that have properly influenced my life. However, I can confidently claim that Roland Barthes’ oeuvre, especially his late poststructural period, has been of the most profound influence to me. Reading Barthes is like the sensation of warming sunlight passing through a stained-glass window. Immanuel Kant, however, illuminates the room.
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I tend to like wines that start with the ‘sh’ (ʃ) phoneme, like Chablis (tʃæbli), Sherry (ʃeɹɪ), and Champagne (tʃæmpeɪn). But I’ve never passed on a French wine or Germanic Rieslings in general, and I admit to a fondness for Loire Valley Cabernet Franc, Beaujolais, and Bordeaux Reds.
The wine that generated an ‘aha!’ moment in me was a Schloss Johannisberger Riesling 2012 from the Rheingau. It was off-dry (Feinherb) and made from fully-ripened grapes (Kabinett). My world was turned upside down, and simply experiencing and learning that wine can not only taste this way, but that it can pair so well with food was the impetus.
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I am a tea drinker who likes to have Mariage Frères tea at hand, especially Marco Polo. I enjoy the malty and rounded taste of Assam and am currently immersed in the world of Oolong teas. At the moment, I am obsessed with Lupicia’s Early Grey Grand Classic, which blends Lapsang Suchong with the tart flavour of dried longan fruit.
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Whilst I have a general curiosity towards all culinary forms, French food is what fascinates me most. I enjoy regional variation and the sheer flavour profile of the cuisine. In Melbourne, I have two favourite locations for French food: Philippe (CBD), and Bon Ap (Fitzroy).
For a drink, The European (CBD) is infallible, and the wine selections are consistently excellent. When I am attempting adventurousness, I believe Byrdi (CBD) has elevated the cocktail to an artform.
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I have a fondness for Alessi, as I believe it adheres to my personal philosophy of everyday aesthetic transcendence. The products appear as first imagined, before they appear to be ‘designed’. Almost miraculously, they materialise products as if they were extracted directly from the ludic imagination - as if seeing the world through the fresh eyes of a child.
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It is no easy task qualifying one’s favourite perfumes, but I have identified various signatures throughout the years. However, my immortal staple is Guerlain’s Jicky (1889). On high rotation at the moment is Dior’s Dune (1991). Consistently, my favourite houses are Serge Lutens and Frederic Malle.
Some Favourite Things …
