It is often said that the discipline of aromatherapy is both art and science. Many people do not realize that the production of visual art also involves science. As a long time visual artist, I am very aware that the selection of colours, the positioning of design elements, and the play of light all involve some knowledge of scientific principles.

This is well illustrated in a traveling exhibition currently housed at the Dallas Musem of Art, Take Your Time, by Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. The installation is impeccably thought out and very simple, a perfect example of using art as an interactive teaching tool to educate viewers on principles of light, perspective and perception. As an aromatherapist, I was particularly intrigued by one gallery which housed a living, breathing (and surprisingly pungent) wall of moss.

Eliasson's work is both engaging and enchanting, and the exhibit was a big hit in New York and San Francisco. If you find yourself in this area of the country, please stop and take in Take Your Time.