Elliott Erwitt
The Macallan celebrated the launch of the fourth edition of The Masters of Photography series with an exclusive exhibition in Hong Kong to showcase the works of its chosen photographer, Elliott Erwitt.
Erwitt was a guest of honour at the event, held at the British Consulate General in Hong Kong, who mingled with celebrated whisky enthusiasts and conoisseurs, as well as Edrington’s Director of Malts, Ken Grier.
The renowned photographer, who has shot the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy, is celebrated for his “in-the-moment” style of photography, he was asked to capture the spirit of Macallan’s homeland, Scotland, showcased in his “Great Scottish Adventure”, the Masters of Photography: Elliott Erwitt Edition. Erwitt captures the beautiful, traditional and eccentric character of the Scottish people, against the backdrop of the Highlands and Islands, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
“Photography is an art of observation – it’s about creating something extraordinary out of the ordinary. You choose a frame and then wait until the right time for something magical to come along and fill it. I realised while working on this project that this is exactly the way Bob, the Whisky Maker, works when creating The Macallan. He envisages how he wants a particular whisky to taste, selects the perfect cask to create it, and then he waits! Timing is everything,” said Erwitt.
The collaboration also featured an exclusive 58 single cask whiskies paired with a different signed Elliot Erwitt print, captured during his escapades in Scotland. Only 35 of each are available, making it a total global release of 2,030. Each single cask malt Scotch whisky was personally selected by whisky maker Bob Dalgarno to correspond to a perfect photograph. The Elliott Erwitt Edition comprises a photo archival book with a total of 158 images shot by the lively photographer, with 35/37.5cl handmade glass flasks containing a single cask malt whisky which is concealed in the pages.
To launch the collection in Hong Kong, The Macallan teamed up with celebrated local photographer Sean Lee Davies, to contribute 24 original images to the exhibition, which capture the spirit of the Hong Kong people in a series of photos depicting their daily lives. It was debuted at the exhibition, providing a stunning contrast between Erwitt’s photos highlighting life in Scotland with the photographs of Hong Kong.
The Macallan Masters of Photography has previously collaborated with renowned photographers like Rankin, Albert Watson, and Annie Leibovitz.
“The creative excellence showcased by Masters of Photography has become synonymous with The Macallan. Working with Elliott Erwitt, the world’s most influential living photographer has been both an honour and personal highlight. Elliott is legendary in the world of photography and is one of my all-time favourite photographers. With his signature playfulness and witty juxtapositions, we couldn’t think of anyone better to capture the quirkiness of Scottish character and heartland of The Macallan. We’re proud that Elliott is now one of our Masters of Photography. His mastery of capturing the ‘decisive moment’ parallels wonderfully with the art of whisky making, making him an obvious choice for the brand,” said Ken Grier.
(Elliott’s prints credited to: Elliott Erwitt/MAGNUM PHOTOS)
Elliott Erwitt’s ‘Great Scottish Adventure’, the Macallan Masters of Photography fourth edition
Elliott Erwitt
