Relive some of the cultural highlights of the 1990s by viewing some key moments in Rankin’s photographic archive.
The celebrated photographer co-founded the seminal style magazine Dazed & Confused in 1991, which launched him on the path to global recognition… and work from its first decade appears in a new London exhibition.
Back in the Dazed runs from May 29 until June 23 and will feature work from 200 editorial photoshoots undertaken by Rankin.
You will be able to get up close to iconic images of Kate Moss, Kylie Minogue, David Bowie, U2, Helena Christensen, Skin from Skunk Anansie, Jude Law, Thom Yorke from Radiohead, Debbie Harry – any many, many more.
The exhibition highlights one photographer and one magazine, across one memorable decade, says the organisers, noting that Rankin was at the forefront of Cool Britannia and the 1990s style which is still popular today.
As Dazed & Confused’s first photographic editor, Rankin’s visual style helped launch the magazine and defined the aesthetics of multiple generations of British youth.
“Those early years were great for experimentation,” he recalls. “For me, just starting out, I was like a blank canvas.
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“Because we were pretty naively fearless, we did things that ended up really changing culture.
“It was from that time that I learnt that I love what I do, and I fell in love with the people around me – capturing them all on medium-format film.”
Back in the Dazed is the first retrospective in the UK of Rankin’s groundbreaking work spanning 1991-2001, and is an ideal vantage point for exploring the culture and creative community of a period that was celebrated all over the world.
During the 1990s, Rankin and Dazed & Confused challenged the mainstream, spearheading LGBTQIA+ representation, photographing working-class children, creating defining images of emerging actors and becoming the go-to photographer for Britpop bands.
Not someone with rarefied tastes, Rankin made notions of ‘high culture’ available to everyday people. Through Dazed & Confused, Rankin gave ordinary teenagers a voice and allowed them access to everything from experimental music to contemporary art.
Says exhibition curator Ellen Stone: “To understand Rankin’s work you need not look any further than the pages of his first magazine, a printed record of his thoughts and reactions to the world around him.
“Dazed shaped Rankin’s photography and it in turn shaped other people’s view of the world.
“Think of your favourite young actor or pop star from the 1990s, and invariably you will be remembering a Rankin picture.”
Based in London, Rankin is a British photographer, publisher & film director. His iconic photography has captured everyone from The Rolling Stones to The Queen.
His work has appeared in over 40 monograph publications and has been exhibited internationally, including at The National Portrait Gallery, London, the V&A, London, and at MoMA, New York.
Rankin’s TV work includes The Great British Photography Challenge, for the BBC, plus The Seven Photographs that Changed Fashion and No Body’s Perfect.
Founded as Dazed & Confused in 1991, Dazed is an independent British fashion, culture and arts magazine and is part of Dazed Media, whose portfolio includes some of the world’s most influential arts, culture and fashion titles.
Visit Rankin’s ’Back in the Dazed’ exhibition
’Back in the Dazed’ takes place at 180 Studios, The Strand, London WC2R 1EA from 29 May- 23 June 2024.
The exhibition is open to non-members of 180 Studios but time slots must be booked in advance. Click here to make your booking.
If you’re really into portrait photography, you’ll want to check out the best lenses for portraits. See our best camera for portraits, and the best softbox lighting kits.
And to shoot on a similar setup to Rankin, see the best medium-format cameras.
