Hennessy Cognac presents the Founder’s Edition Bottle, celebrating the 300th anniversary of the birth of its Irish founder, Richard Hennessy. We talk to Irish artists Maser and Conor Harrington, who designed the special edition bottle …
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The striking design of the new Hennessy Very Special (VS) Founder’s Edition embodies the enduring influence of the Corkonian, Richard Hennessy (who emigrated to Cognac and created the renowned global Hennessy brand) and is executed in the combined style of the Irish artists who designed it – Maser and Conor Harrington.
Maser and Conor Harrington travelled to Cognac to learn of its grape-to-glass process, and to meet those who craft the Hennessy VS; using the exact recipe that was created almost three centuries ago. Dublin native Maser is known for his colourful and geometric style, which he executes on platforms of varying types, from street murals to installations. Cork-born Conor merges classical art with street aesthetics, exploring masculinity and power in modern society, through historical motifs and vibrant urban influences.
The merging of these two artists’ styles is a perfect fit for the Hennessy VS bottle brand character – vibrant, colourful and street. The original artwork will be placed upon the walls of Killavullen, the Cork home of Richard Hennessy, after the official launch of the bottle on October 22.
Plaid is on trend for the season – where do you get your style inspiration?
MASER: Honestly, I spend most of my time in painting gear. I’ve stopped buying nice things because, eventually, everything gets covered in paint. I usually wear “workwear” gear like Carhartt, which is a brand closely associated with street culture.
How do your creative juices flow – do you shoot from the hip or map the process?
CONOR: It’s a bit of both, a lot of planning and organisation goes into my source imagery before a paint brush touches the canvas, but once I have that sorted I can be a bit free within the framework. The painting process itself involves a lot of coffee.
Who are some of your icons?
MASER: I really admire Irish designer Eileen Grey, you can see her work in the National Museum of Ireland. Christy Moore, Sinead O’Connor and Christy Dignam are inspiring icons. Or Anne Devlin (1780-1851). Brian Maguire is also up there as an incredible artist, who has been very open and supportive to me.
Favourite art form and city for art?
CONOR: Contemporary painting. It’s very fast moving and constantly evolving, especially seeing what younger artists are doing. I don’t get to New York very often, but it’s both the centre of the art world and the birthplace of graffiti, so there’s plenty of food for my eyes there.
Favourite music genre or artist?
MASER: I used to listen to a lot of hip hop – Nas, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Guru – so I guess that ties into my graffiti background. Nowadays in the studio, I love listening to Sigur Ros; there’s something in that music that helps me to find a nice flow when painting. I’m also a big fan of Damien Dempsey, he’s a voice I can relate to.
Perfect night in or out?
CONOR: A few drinks with friends, usually a London pub with good Guinness.
Ideal dinner party guests?
MASER: A high protein dinner date with Arnold Schwarzenegger, no need to invite anyone else. I was lucky enough to meet him when I was training in a gym one time in LA. I was totally starstruck, but got a great photo with him. Nice fella!
Why do you think Ireland has such global cultural influence?
MASER: I often hear people referring to us as a nation of storytellers, so I guess it’s in our genes and passed on through the generations. We have incredible artists here, but it’s not an easy route to take, particularly in today’s climate. Studio spaces are very hard to come by and, without relevant funding, it can be incredibly difficult to pursue a career in the arts in Ireland. It would be great to see artists being given more opportunity here to thrive.
CONOR: We’ve a long history of mastering the word, whether written, spoken or sung, so it makes sense that we are seeing that impact now on the global stage on screen and in fiction.
What’s the real Irish capital – Dublin or Cork?!
MASER: Let’s stick to the facts here. Dublin.
CONOR: Lol, no comment.
How do you like your cognac?
MASER: Showing my age. Christmas time, after dinner, sitting in front of the fire, a nice glass of Hennessy XO on ice.
CONOR: I’m not usually a big spirits drinker, so it was great to learn more about it and the complexities of the flavours. A cube of ice is all it needs, although it’s very tasty with ginger ale.
The Hennessy Founder’s Edition Bottle €41 is available widely from grocery and independent wine shops
