LONDON — Fashion photographer and cofounder of Dazed Rankin is reminiscing with a new exhibition titled “Back in the Dazed,” at 180 Studios at 180 The Strand running from May 28 to June 23.
The British photographer is focusing on his work that he produced for the indie magazine between 1991 and 2001.
“It’s important for a few reasons; first and foremost this exhibition is about where I started. As the founder of Dazed with Jefferson Hack, we created a platform not only for ourselves but for tons of other creatives,” said Rankin in an interview.
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“In a lot of ways that platform consumed me but also helped make me the photographer I am today,” he added.
The work that Rankin produced at Dazed had a particular slant to it — depicting subcultures and challenging perceptions of what fashion photography should look like.
The showcase features images of Kate Moss, Björk and Roy Brown, among others. However, the photo that stands out to him the most is of Nasi King, a Michael Jackson lookalike that was retouched to resemble an overly surgical version of the late pop star.
“That line between reality and fantasy has always fascinated me, and the images really showcase that sense of questioning and provoking reaction which my time at Dazed really represents,” said Rankin.
His favorite pictures are of the model Roy Brown, who was on the debut cover of Dazed and Confused, as it was called then.
Rankin is still friends with Brown to this day and to promote the exhibition, they intend to do new versions of the image three decades after the initial shoot.
He wants to use this exhibition as an antidote to all the negativity in the world and it’s part of the reason why he started Dazed with Hack.
“For me, it’s also fun to remember a time when the world felt very optimistic and things were so positive. We need that right now,” Rankin said.
“Now, there are so many independent magazines that fill that space and I feel like they share the original Dazed ethos. So in many ways, the publishing industry is getting better as indie imprints are getting wider recognition,” he added.