Rankin’s Cheeky

05. Mar, 2010

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Rankin is launching a new exhibition – a collection of erotica that celebrates the female form in all its glory.

A seasoned portrait and fashion photographer, Rankin has snapped the likes of Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue, to Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett, and even Tony Blair and Queen Elizabeth II. His new collection is just as its title suggests: cheeky. In comparison to his more illustrious clients, the new exhibition features photographs which are playful, but whilst also exploring his subjects’ sexuality – included are Kate Moss, Lily Cole, and Helena Christensen, to name a few. The erotic studies sencompass all that is mischievous, beautiful, and explicit in the female form – captured in Rankin’s skilful composition and unconventional aesthetic for which he is famous.

Rankin’s Cheeky will run at Annroy Gallery – his own recently-launched exhibition space in Kentish Town – from 11th March to 11th April 2010. Accompanying the month-long show is a book of the same name. This includes forewords by Hugh Hefner and Heidi Klum.

“I appreciate images of beautiful, strong, sexy girls who feel comfortable in their own skin, who clearly proud of who they are and who have ownership of their being naked and gorgeous” – taken from Heidi’s foreword, it’s clear that it’s a very exciting venture into the sensuality of female beauty, using photography as a medium for that sexual expression.

But this isn’t the first time that he has chosen to pave a new road for himself. He first came to prominence when he co-founded the stylish Dazed & Confused magazine with Jefferson Hack in 1991. It proved crucial in breaking some of today’s top designers, and nurtured the budding careers of a generation of creative photographers. Not only this, but it became clear that Rankin was in a league of his own when it came to capturing the essence and character of his subjects – and he still continues to push boundaries, questioning notions of beauty and causing controversy.

Amongst his fans are not necessarily the audience for whom his photographs bring a sense of his own aesthetics, but his subjects. Kate Moss is one of them: “Any time Rankin takes a picture he knows what he wants, and there is really no chance of being anyone but who you are, even if you try. You can trust him. I trust him.”

Aside from the publication of Rankin’s Cheeky, he has a number of published books under his belt. These include Visually Hungry, a retrospective of his work; Celebritation, a collection of his most recognisable portraits; and Tuulitastic, which feautres images of his model wife Tuuli, with whom he lives in London, along with his 13 year old son, Lyle.

Although declaring himself “past it” in 2006, John Rankin Waddell shows no signs of slowing. Launching his own quarterly fashion magazine, RANK, in December 2000, alongside publishing Another Magazine and Another Man, as well as creating hard-hitting campaigns for Women’s Aid and Oxfam projects in the Congo, and more recently directing The Lives of the Saints, a gangster film set in London and written by Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas writer, Tony Grisoni (which won the Grand Jury Prize at Salento International Film Festival), Rankin is a machine of creativity which snares all aspects of life in print or through a lens.

Perhaps his success and ability to juggle concurrent projects owes itself to the philosophy with which he begat Dazed & Confused. “When we started Dazed our whole approach was DIY – create, innovate, don’t talk about it, just do it,” he said. “We do tours around student unions urging students to do the same thing today.” Rankin’s Cheeky is, for the man himself, probably another one of those “just do it” things.

Well, he’s just done it.

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Cheeky Book / Tuuli / Erotic

Rankin’s Cheeky will be at Annroy Gallery from 11th March – 11th April

110-114 Grafton Road
Kentish Town
NW5 4BA

For more details visit www.rankin.co.uk

The book, published by teNeues, is available at fine independent and high street bookstores across the UK, or to order via www.teneues.com, priced £50.