Elliott Erwitt Puts Focus on the Heartland of The Macallan

For the fourth edition of its award-winning Masters of Photography series, The Macallan has commissioned the most influential living photographer, Elliott Erwitt to capture the spirit of its heartland in his ‘Great Scottish Adventure’. The Masters of Photography: Elliott Erwitt Edition interprets the unique richness and depth of Scottish character through his shrewd observational skill and subtle humorous style.

The Masters of Photography: Elliott Erwitt Edition is The Macallan’s most extensive, and ambitious, to date with 58 unique single cask whiskies being paired with a different signed 11” x 14” Elliott Erwitt print captured during his Scottish adventure.  Only 35 of each of the exclusive pairings are available, making a complete global release of 2,030. The Elliott Erwitt Edition comprises a bespoke photo-archival book featuring a total of 158 images, shot by Elliott during the process, with a 35/37.5cl handmade glass flask containing a single cask malt whisky concealed within its pages.

Erwitt’s rarefied ability to instinctively visualise and capture an insightful image has resulted in some of the most iconic and powerful photographs of our time, including  the incredibly poignant portrait of Jackie Kennedy at her husband’s funeral, and intimate shots of Marilyn Monroe on the set of The Misfits. Renowned for his mastery of the ‘decisive moment’ that creative instant when subjects appear before the camera in surprising and illuminating ways. Elliott Erwitt has now turned his lens on Scotland. Shot against dramatically different backdrops in the Highlands and Islands, Glasgow and Edinburgh, Erwitt captures the beauty of the perfect moment. His collection showcases the traditions and eccentricities of the Scottish people, as well as, his most loved subjects – dogs.

“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,” comments Elliott Erwitt.

This collection is completely unique in terms of its scale and breadth of single cask malt Scotch whiskies,  each of which has been personally selected by Whisky Maker Bob Dalgarno to interpret the essence of its corresponding photograph. “The incredible richness and depth of character found in every Macallan whisky lends itself perfectly to this year’s Masters of Photography offering. Selecting 58 individual single cask malt whiskies to bring to life Elliott’s 58 favourite images of his Great Scottish Adventure was wonderfully challenging – tasting the image through the whisky and the whisky through the image on such an unprecedented scale was inspiring,” remarks Bob Dalgarno, Whisky Maker, The Macallan.

The Macallan Masters of Photography series features exclusive collaborations with legendary photographers. Previous editions were authored by Rankin, Albert Watson and Annie Leibovitz. Ken Grier, Director of Malts, The Edrington Group, says: “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.” 

 The Masters of Photography: Elliott Erwitt Edition is available worldwide and priced at US$1,500.

copyright © Elliot Erwitt/MAGNUM PHOTOS