François Halard’s ‘Details of Exception’ Images for The Glenrothes – SURFACE

Famed inside photographer François Halard—recognized for intimate depictions of Cy Twombly, Louise Bourgeois, and Luis Barragán’s areas—now invitations viewers into the properties of John Pawson, Han Chong, and Julie de Libran. In a collection for The Glenrothes titled “Details of Exception,” Halard presents each Polaroids and three movies shot on his personal Bolex 16mm. Within every picture, The Glenrothes whiskies have been artfully built-in into the design and structure of the actual settings.

“Collecting and living with objects and with art is like a romance. How an object can lead to an idea. How an object can lead you to a memory. How an object can give you a fantasy. That’s quite fascinating, I think,” Halard says within the movie from Chong’s London dwelling. It’s there his digital camera captures Has the Day Invaded the Night, Or Has the Night Invaded the Day? (2006), a portray by Louise Bourgeois; a 1939 Glass Desk by Gio Ponti for Vetrocoke; and the Tit Teddy Ugo (2014) sculpture by Sarah Lucas.

In the Cotswolds sanctuary of minimalist architectural designer John Pawson, Halard observes that “[details] can tell the truth, because they’re human.” Among these quietly spectacular design particulars are Pawson’s personal Sleeve Pendant Light Lamps, Chair 84 by Donald Judd, a poem written for the designer by Nigerian-British poet and novelist Ben Okri, and Carl Hansen eating chairs.

“For me, the idea of the house, it’s the best autobiography you can have of yourself,” Halard says from the Paris dwelling of couture designer de Libran, founding father of her eponymous label (and an alum of Prada, Versace, and Louis Vuitton). As Halard’s digital camera gazes out on the dressmaker’s wonders, one will observe an Hermès Birkin bag, the Infinito bookcase by Franco Albini for Poggi, and a pair of Italian lamps by Willy Rizzo. One of Halard’s pictures hones in on a portrait of de Libran by David Bailey.

Each piece within the collection is a biography of each the house and the person who occupies it. “What kind of books a person reads, what kind of objects people collect, what kind of art they have on the wall. Those kinds of things could be a reflection of the soul of the people,” Halard provides. It’s a sublime, detailed marketing campaign from The Glenrothes that aligns with the artistry behind the Speyside single malt scotch whisky model’s releases.