As elegant as it is provocative, as dynamic as it is cool, as creative as it is style-defining: the work of the British star photographer Rankin has many facets and he has long been one of the most sought-after and influential photographers of our time. The exhibition "Rankin - Time Leaps," which will be presented at the Ernst Leitz Museum from May 26 to September 27, 2023, provides exciting and surprising insights into his magnificent work. Some of his best photographs from over thirty years are presented here. Thus, the exhibition features many iconic portraits and celebrity shots that have long since made contemporary history, jaw-dropping beauty and classic fashion shots, as well as examples from his profound conceptual series. Under the title "Zeitsprünge" ("Time Leaps"), motifs from the 1990s to the 2000s are dialogically combined with brand-new and never-before-published shots from 2023.
In front of his camera have been the most famous personalities from politics and show business: Elizabeth II, Vivienne Westwood, Ewan McGregor, Björk, Heidi Klum, David Bowie - the list goes on and on. Rankin's passion for magazines is impressive proof that he is much more than a fashion and lifestyle photographer. At the beginning of the 1990s, together with Jefferson Hack, he founded Dazed & Confused, then the most provocative zeitgeist magazine, a mixture of different genres such as fashion, graphics, design and photography. His editorials for numerous international magazines made him a busy photographer and designer. In addition, he has also long been at home in the world of film. In addition to long TV films, he has made countless music videos over the years, and here, too, his list of artists reads like a Who's Who of the music scene.
As a photographer, filmmaker, publicist and designer, Rankin has undoubtedly excited and inspired entire generations. To this day, he continues to restlessly invent new creative expressions of photography - often using Leica cameras. The exhibition "Zeitsprünge" is an invitation to immerse yourself in the incomparable Rankin world.
Rankin, born John Rankin Waddell in Scotland on April 28, 1966, initially began studying business administration despite his early artistic inclinations. With a BTech course at Barnfield College in Luton and a subsequent BA course at the London College of Printing, he then finally found his way to photography. Here he met Jefferson Hack and in 1991 they founded Dazed & Confused magazine, and in 1999 the Dazed Film & TV agency. In December 2000, he published his own fashion magazine Rank for the first time, and Hunger magazine has been published since 2011. Rankin has been responsible for numerous advertising campaigns for well-known brands and has also volunteered for various campaigns. Rankin has been known to German television audiences since 2009, not least for his appearances on Germany's Next Topmodel; since the 2020 season, he has also been an occasional guest judge. Rankin has published numerous illustrated books, and his work has been exhibited worldwide. He lives in London with his wife, the Finnish model Tuuli Shipster.
Photo: Rankin, Bird Song, Hunger, Issue 11, 2016 © Rankin