Can destruction be beautiful? Rankin’s new limited edition book “A Booming World” has the answer. What started out as a way to stay creative during lockdown has become his latest coffee table book and a reminder of the importance of creativity to personal happiness. .
Photographers of all sizes have been profoundly impacted by the pandemic, regardless of whether someone has a big studio in London or a film camera they bought in February 2020. Creativity over time wreaks havoc. is a real challenge that not everyone accepts. It was an unexpected, rather forced, challenge that Rankin took on.
For this project, he photographed burning dandelion flowers, which he has long been fascinated with. They are symbols of courage, hope, growth, healing. Seed-head perfection can be an obsession, as is the case with Rankins. In times of stress, he finds them comforting. So why put them on fire? Rankin’s answer:
When a forest fire burns, old trees are burned away to make room for new forests to grow. Through burning these dandelions, I have freed up space mentally. Find a new outlet for my creativity.
Rankin’s images show the beauty of nature in a non-traditional way. This duality is portrayed through the physical features of the book. As such, the bronze texture is an expression of a childhood fascination with dandelions, while the smooth Tatami paper is used to represent the dandelion sparks and perfection. Taken together, they bring anatomical and metaphorical beauty to a level of super detail.
“Exploding World” is available for purchase from Rankin’s Store.
