art

beyond fashion photography

rankin
 yeArs oF FirsT ClAss phoTogrAphy CoMbines WiTh unique live eleMenTs in rAnkins neW duAl exhibiTion.

To every fashionista, Rankin needs little introduction. His name has become very public downfall, the Queen is resplendent in regalia, almost a plasticine synonymous with the self-consciously cool, glossy, image saturated world of caricature standing guard over an appliqud Union Jack, the celebrity portraits high fashion. Throughout the 1990s, Rankin and his self-proclaimed style bible are an insight into a jovial, imaginative work ethic. Rankin plays with the public Dazed and Confused, came to define a generation through the confidence and perception of his subjects, maximising our common conceptions or inverting brash personalities of Brit Pop, the YBAs and Cool Britannia. Kate Moss, Oasis, them completely Robert Downey Jr. frolics with an oversized tuba, Mary-Kate Dazed and Confused, Tony Blair, even the Queen, combined under Rankins and Ashley Olsen are ethereal nymphets, Grace Jones is a monochromatic lens to conjure the mystique of London as the place to be. In the heady early manga figure splashed with red, Sienna Miller is a Hitchcock heroine, Hugh days of the Labour government, Rankin was in his element, fusing the worlds of Grant is a suave lothario and Justin Timberlake is a kitsch toy cowboy. The photographs are a collaboration between photographer and subject. fashion, music, art and politics with unabashed self-confidence. As the lustre of Cool Britannia rapidly faded, Rankins portraiture maintains its Ive based my career on not being totally in control, as a creative person, I star quality. Alongside Mario Testino, Rankin is one of few photographers who find it more interesting. The person in front of the lens is the essence of the has fused the realms of fashion and popular culture and his list of photography photograph, and Rankin is the professional opinion finding their best side, but credits reads like a whos who of the here and now. In many ways you expect they work towards the image together: A lot of people want me to tell them him to be a clich, referred to only by his designated moniker, the fashion what looks good and to give them my opinion, theres an expectation of me as photographer recently married to the model, but once he is finally tracked a photographer. Rankin is that rare beast, a fashion photographer enthralled down, Rankin is an amiable, personable and engaging conversationalist. He by the world around him, but painfully aware of its superficiality, the emptiness will easily divert on a 15 minute tangent waxing lyrical about the publics behind the veneer, its lack of relevance to the real world. I dont want to be reactions to his male nudes series and digressing into the demonisation of the some stupid shallow fashion photographer who doesnt do anything more than take beautiful photographs, there should be more to it. Projects for Oxfam penis: How did this happen? How did I get round to talking about this? Today Rankin remains a respected name in the fashion industry, and a and Womens Aid lift him away from this focus, but hes keen not to preach: I cultural commentator through his willingness to open the inner workings of think most people do it because they do feel that if youre lucky enough to the industry to public view. Rankin Live sees him mount the first retrospective of live a life, doing your dream job, in your dream marriage, you do feel like you his full career, spanning fashion, popular culture, royalty, erotica, personal and should give something back. In a manner he turns fashion on its head. Fashion charity work at the Truman Brewery, London. The works on display showcase campaigns are all about the sale of an idea, a lifestyle associated with the his talents in capturing subjects and run the gamut of emotions Tony Blair brand, with the luxury, with the kind of person who would carry this bag, or wear looks almost withered, downtrodden, and shadowed by the grey hues of a this underwear. These appropriations are inverted to create the impression of
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Robert Downey Jr. Rankin.

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Eye Candy: Burning Girl. Rankin.

Tuuli. Rankin.

Its part of the larger cultural whole, art informing fashion, informing advertising. There is an element of advertising being reciprocated by artists. They will promote their work and use the PR and the promotion of spectacle that advertising has created over the years, to create an interest and a market, but Rankin is refreshingly free of pretensions, for me its always been really important not to call In the last 10 to 15 years, people have become more aware of their myself an artist, but to call myself a photographer. self-image, it goes hand in hand with the crassness of celebrity Its more honest and Ive always been commercial, culture. As celebrity becomes bigger and bigger, theres more Ive always wanted to work on large scale projects diversity of style and different ways of expressing yourself with and Ive never really wanted to define the two. As clothes or with your look or your haircut. More people like me and someone who deals in surface and appearance, you become influenced by that and express ourselves through it. Rankin is occasionally uncomfortable with these the interactivity and openness of the 21st Century. Im quite democratic, Ive distinctions: Its good that people express themselves through something always been open to people seeing my work. Digital photography enables thats as simple as clothes, but its also a bit sad. Theres a duality to fashion the exhibition to be instantaneous in the manner to which we have become and art. For me, Im seduced by it, I love it but then I hate it, and am critical of accustomed. Nobody waits for anything anymore and the exhibition involves it too. Would Rankin refer to this as a healthy cynicism against the world that hes the audience as it happens: It can almost be like a performance because you can see the shoot as its happening, you can project it onto a big screen and its in? Yeah I love it and am cynical about it in equal measure. I love a really quite amazing, very quick, very immediate. The project invites 1000 members beautiful seductive fashion photograph, I get sucked in by it, but at the same of the public to pose for Rankin, some are pre-selected, some will be plucked time if I dont do other stuff in my life then Im leading quite a shallow life. In from the crowd on specific days, all will be showcased in the Rankin manner spite of 22 years in the business, Rankin remains aware of how lucky he is in playful self-images, almost hyper-real lighting, but again as a collaboration his vocation. You get the impression that he tries to be cynical, but the critique between subject and photographer. From the available images, it is clear that just escapes him each time: I feel very lucky, I dont want to be one of those exhibitionists are attracted to the concept, the Shoot Me Rankin images are a cynical grumpy people because I really have a fantastic life and Im really pantomime of self-styled Gok Wan sartorialists, all illustrating the publics blessed. Its refreshing, in the midst of a recession to hear someone admit this, ever-increasing awareness of their own aesthetics and the environment around to resign from laying the blame on our own superficiality, and maintain an them. In the last 10 to 15 years, people have become more aware of their self- interest in appearance, because this is his job to make beautiful images. Its image, it goes hand in hand with the crassness of celebrity culture. As celebrity a job that he loves. Rankin Live runs at the Truman Brewery, London, 31 July - 18 September, becomes bigger and bigger, theres more diversity of style and different ways of expressing yourself with clothes or with your look or your haircut. More www.rankinlive.com. people like me and you become influenced by that, and express ourselves Pauline Bache through it. someone who would support the cause: You end up selling ideas with your photographs, ideas of giving money to support charities, or time to support charities, I guess you could say its my conscience. Shoot Me Rankin completes the second element of Rankin Live and embraces
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