Jenny Hval's album 'Iris Silver Mist' is an introspective exploration of art and existence, sparked by the pandemic's impact on live performance. The album, named after a fragrance, delves into the essence of transformation, likening the creative process to the alchemical journey of perfume-making. Through her songs, Hval examines themes of performance, identity, and the fluidity of time—capturing the essence of change in both scent and artistic expression.
The most intriguing and prevalent is performance itself. On the sauntering 'I don't know what free is,' Hval questions the definition of creative practice: 'I tried to ask 'What is a performance?'/What is to write?' she sings.
For Hval, the perfume evokes the stages of its making: an alchemic transformation from plant matter to glorious vapor; a 'flower that is a root that has died, been resurrected and finely grated,' as she has described it.
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