{"id":165153,"date":"2024-11-07T14:20:56","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T19:20:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/?p=165153"},"modified":"2026-05-22T16:16:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T20:16:38","slug":"how-michael-scanlon-turns-abstract-ideas-into-striking-visuals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/?p=165153","title":{"rendered":"How Michael Scanlon Turns Abstract Ideas into Striking Visuals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Behind the Image is an ongoing MODELS.com series taking a more personal look at both established and emerging creative talent.<\/em><\/p>\n<style>\n.quote {\nline-height: 1.2em !important;\npadding: 35px 25px;\n}\n.wp-caption {\n    margin-top: 65px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<figure id=\"attachment_141369\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-141369\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2024\/11\/Michael-Portrait-1-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"6192\" height=\"7740\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-165157\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-141369\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\n<a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/michael-scanlon\">Michael Scanlon<\/a> by Sofie Kj\u00f8rum Austlid | Image courtesy of Chandelier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/michael-scanlon\">Michael Scanlon<\/a>, Chief Creative Officer <\/p>\n<p><strong>Hometown\/country:<\/strong> Utica, New York<br \/>\n<strong>Based:<\/strong> New York, NY<\/p>\n<p><strong>How would you describe your work?<\/strong><br \/>\nMy work heavily draws on cinema, story, music, and the senses\u2014emotional and instinctual. I always ask myself, \u201cWhat is this movie we\u2019re about to write about?\u201d Then I ask, \u201cHave we seen this before?\u201d I like things a little tense but sensual.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What initially drew you to the world of art direction, and how has your aesthetic evolved since then?<\/strong><br \/>\nMy favorite movies as a child are still my favorites today, and the common thread is a certain kind of 1970s world-building. The Shining, The Wiz, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Casino, Boogie Nights. I went to film school at NYU but was more obsessed with Tom Ford\u2019s Gucci campaigns than creating a feature film. My first job at L\u2019Uomo Vogue was eye-opening, and a masterclass in translating characters and narratives into 2D pictures on a page. You must draw up the vision, choose the right collaborators, and be open to new ideas but relentless in your focus. Then I started at Chandelier and immediately was given briefs that pushed my thinking into other mediums \u2013 TV commercials, a world tour for a pop star, experiential, branding and packaging, sonic branding\u2026 I\u2019ve realized that my aesthetic hasn\u2019t changed so much, as it\u2019s become more dimensional through my practice.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Before art direction, what other roles or experiences shaped your creative journey?<\/strong><br \/>\nI assisted the editor <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/Rushka-Bergman\">Rushka Bergman<\/a>, and she taught me to be steadfast and determined in my ideas. Like, unapologetically proud and determined. Later, Richard Christiansen, the founder of Chandelier, who I\u2019ve now succeeded, taught me about the power of pleasure \u2013 that selfishness can actually be selfless, and that the world needs more ambition and fantasy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In your opinion, what makes for a truly successful partnership between an art director and a photographer or brand?<\/strong><br \/>\nIt\u2019s my favorite part of the process, finding the right collaborator. I\u2019m very loyal and love to build relationships and a short hand with people I admire, be it a brand or talent. But I also love working with new people who have compelling or provocative ideas. In either case, it\u2019s about removing ego, being very clear, always ambitious, brave, open-minded, and a bit pragmatic. <\/p>\n<p><strong>What have you watched\/heard\/read lately that has inspired you?<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.meredithrosengallery.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hannah Villiger at Meredith Rosen<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pinaultcollection.com\/palazzograssi\/en\/pierre-huyghe-liminal\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pierre Huyghe at Punta della Dogana<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.paulacoopergallery.com\/artists\/christian-marclay#tab:thumbnails\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Christian Marclay at Paula Cooper Gallery<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/yutanaka89\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Yu Tanaka\u2019s sculptures <\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>You\u2019ve worked extensively with brands like <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/client\/khaite\">Khaite<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/client\/rhode-skin\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">rhode<\/a>, and<a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/client\/equinox\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> Equinox <\/a> on art direction, branding, and packaging. Can you walk us through your creative process for translating their vision into an impactful brand identity?<\/strong><br \/>\nEverything starts with understanding ambition. Having a hunch but also listening. Then it\u2019s about either studying the brand foundation or, if we\u2019re creating a new brand, crafting that brand foundation. What are the codes? The boundaries of this universe? What is true here and permanent? How do we speak? Who lives here, and what do they read and listen to? How do they live, love? And building that universe around what it is that we\u2019re selling. That\u2019s desire. I\u2019m lucky enough to have a brilliant team around me \u2013 Chandelier is a group of magicians and misfits, creative and art directors, poets, producers, and polymath wildcards.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What has been the most challenging project you&#8217;ve worked on, and how did you navigate any obstacles?<\/strong><br \/>\nWithout being specific, it can be difficult to work with your heroes. A couple of experiences showed me that being inspired by someone\u2019s life work is sometimes better than trying to get them to revisit a period they\u2019ve moved past. <\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s something outside of your work that fuels your creativity or gives you a fresh perspective?<\/strong><br \/>\nMusic. I\u2019m a DJ and a record collector, and fully nerd out on histories, collaborations, and techniques. I\u2019m endlessly inspired by the way jazz, soul, and dance music was made in the late 70\u2019s, where live musicians experimented with new synthesizers and technologies to create sounds previously unheard of. It makes me so hungry to understand AI and everything weird and exciting that\u2019s at our fingertips now, mixing analogue impulses with synthetic tools. So I\u2019m fascinated by Midjourney and Runway, making images, then turning them into videos, and figuring out how to make crazy ideas for movies without any limits.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who do you think is one to watch?<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/huyghepierre\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pierre Huyghe<\/a>. His work is so profound and aesthetically sumptuous, at the same time quite depressing. He has a chokehold on my imagination, and I can\u2019t wait to see what he creates next. And on the absolute other end of the spectrum, <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/rachel-sennott\">Rachel Sennott<\/a> \u2013 culture needs a canon comedy series, and I feel like we\u2019re about to get it with her.<\/p>\n<h3>Selected Work<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_141376\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-141376\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2024\/11\/MichaelScanlon_rhode.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-165164\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-141376\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\n<a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/hailey-bieber\">Hailey Bieber<\/a> by <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/drew-vickers\">Drew Vickers<\/a> | Image courtesy of Chandelier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/rhode-skin-rhode-skin-peptide-lip-tint-2023\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Rhode Skin Peptide Lip Tint 2023<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nFor this rhode shoot, <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/models\/hailey-bieber\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hailey <\/a> and I did not overthink it. It was about bringing the product to life in the most joyful, unexpected way. Here we were inspired by the name of the lip tint, Ribbon, for which Hailey knew it was time to channel her inner ballerina by way of 80\u2019s supermodel-inspired imagery.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_141376\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-141376\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2024\/11\/MichaelScanlon_MarkVanderloo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1157\" height=\"1440\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-165162\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-141376\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\n<a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/Mark-Vanderloo\">Mark Vanderloo<\/a> by <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/arnaud-lajeunie\">Arnaud Lajeunie<\/a> | Image courtesy of Chandelier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Neiman Marcus<\/strong><br \/>\nThe magic of <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/Mark-Vanderloo\">Mark Vanderloo<\/a> and <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/peter-lindbergh\">Peter Lindbergh<\/a> formed some of my earliest images of man, so it was exciting to work with Mark in a later era. And to reimagine that manliness with him, especially as masculinity has evolved so much since those DKNY ads of the early 90s \u2013 men today are more vulnerable, softer. The idea came from a very talented person on my team, and I immediately knew it was one worth fighting hard for. The fluidity of <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/anthony-vaccarello\">Anthony Vaccarello<\/a>\u2019s draped <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/client\/yves-saint-laurent\">Saint Laurent<\/a> tailoring, combined with Mark\u2019s classically stoic strength, feels perfectly timely and timeless. <\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_141376\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-141376\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2024\/11\/MichaelScanlon_Khaite.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1800\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-165163\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-141376\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\n<a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/anok-yai\">Anok Yai<\/a> by <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/hanna-tveite\">Hanna Tveite<\/a> | Image courtesy of Chandelier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Khaite S\/S 2024 Campaign<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/catherine-holstein\">Catherine Holstein<\/a> has an exquisite vision of the <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/client\/khaite\">Khaite<\/a>  woman and world, and it\u2019s a joy to get to play in, continually revealing new gestures and emotions within itself. With this shoot, Cate knew exactly what she wanted, and with very little time, we captured a new lightness, sensuality, and nuance. An image of a room by the architect Claire Bataille felt like an exciting way to bring bloomy softness while still maintaining a moodiness. <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/anok-yai\">Anok Yai<\/a> works beautifully, and it was a dance of letting the clothes dictate form, creating this sculptural pose that I just find intoxicating.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_141376\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-141376\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2024\/11\/MichaelScanlon_MaggieRogers.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1275\" height=\"794\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-165165\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-141376\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nMaggie Rogers by Warren Fu| Image courtesy of Chandelier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=WdrNXRdkuG4\" data-rel=\"lightbox-video-0\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">That\u2019s Where I Am music video<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nI love New York in an obsessive way, even 20 years in. At the same time, I think New York is only as great as it is being mythologized in art. One of my biggest wishes is to direct an I <3 New York campaign, but until I get that call, I feel like I have a moral obligation to craft more New York iconography and mystique in my work. My ongoing collaboration with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/maggierogers\/?hl=en\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Maggie Rogers<\/a> has been a personal triumph, but I think this single frame, the final frame of our first music video together, is so representative of it \u2013 electric, reverent, feral, ambitious.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_141376\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-141376\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2024\/11\/MichaelScanlon_Equinox.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2650\" height=\"1654\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-165166\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-141376\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nBy <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/zhong-lin\">Zhong Lin<\/a> | Image courtesy of Chandelier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/equinox-equinox---want-it-all\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Equinox Want It All<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nEquinox\u2019s heritage is in iconic campaigns that marry artful imagery and bold provocations. Rarely about fitness at all; they were always about individuals living at their edges. Committing to their extremes. We\u2019re surely in a time when idiosyncratic desire and individual ambition is dulled by the algorithm, but we believe desire is what invents you. My team at Chandelier wrote 16 \u201ctenets\u201d of desire and commissioned <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/zhong-lin\">Zhong Lin<\/a> to interpret them with us, Zhong is the modern master of ambiguous, artful extremes. A little Hujar, a little Magritte, a little Serge Lutens.<\/p>\n<p><!--pp-thumb-start--><!--PictPress found no dir \/2024\/11\/165153--><!--pp-thumb-end--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Behind the Image is an ongoing MODELS.com series taking a more personal look at both established and emerging creative talent. Michael Scanlon, Chief Creative Officer Hometown\/country: Utica, New York Based: New York, NY How would you describe your work? My work heavily draws on cinema, story, music, and the senses\u2014emotional and instinctual. I always ask&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":450,"featured_media":165176,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12752,13941,10414,16,13943],"tags":[12930,13154,14649],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165153"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/450"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=165153"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":165177,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165153\/revisions\/165177"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/165176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=165153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=165153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=165153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}