LONDON.- Rankin blurs the boundaries of fashion, photography and fine art in Painting Pretty Pictures, a collection of painterly studies of feminine beauty. Using digital retouching as a tool for artistic effect, stunning nudes of some of the world’s top models, including Yasmin Le Bon, Heidi Klum and Lily Cole, are transformed into apparent oil paintings.

Always keen to explore the limits of his chosen medium, Rankin reframes the debate surrounding the use of digital image manipulation, creating a new hyperreal aesthetic that merges fantasy and reality. With Gerhard Richter amongst his inspirations, Rankin departs from his trademark style, creating images which seem almost classical through the use of the latest imaging technologies.

Painting Pretty Pictures will run from 30th July – 29th August at Annroy Gallery, Rankin’s own Kentish Town gallery space.

Synonymous with dynamic and intimate portraiture, the photographer Rankin has shot everyone from royalty to refugees. His powerful images are part of contemporary iconography, and mix a cross section of his own personal interests with commercial campaigns, from Nike to Women’s Aid. His work is regularly exhibited in galleries around the world from Sao Paolo to Moscow, London to LA.

Rankin first came to prominence when he co-founded style bible Dazed & Confused with Jefferson Hack. One of the most important magazines of the 90’s, it established its stylists in the fashion elite, broke some of today’s top designers and nurtured the budding careers of a generation of creative photographers.

Earning a reputation for creative portraiture and a talent for capturing the character and spirit of his subjects, Rankin quickly became a formidable force in photography, shooting Brit-pop bands including Pulp and Blur and darlings of pop such as Kylie and Madonna. Rankin’s career continued to blossom and covers for German Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Arena and GQ quickly followed.

His body of work includes some of the most influential politicians, popular musicians, revered artists and celebrated models since the early 90’s. However, Rankin also continues to take on projects that feature ordinary people, often questioning established notions of beauty, causing controversy and igniting debates along the way. Most recently he travelled to Johannesburg with the BBC to film South Africa in Pictures, a documentary in which he traced the country’s photographic history.

Rankin is affiliated with a number of charities and has created hardhitting campaigns for Women’s Aid and Oxfam to name but a few.

A number of books of Rankin’s work have been published, including a retrospective of his work Visually Hungry, a collection of his most recognisable portraits Celebritation, a book of Rankin’s images of his model wife Tuuli Tuulitastic, Alex Box, a collaboration with the avantgarde make-up artist and a book to accompany the BBC documentary, RANKINJOZI.

Between 2004 and April 2010, Rankin has co-directed music videos, commercials and feature films with Chris Cottam. This included their debut film The Lives of Saints, penned by Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas writer Tony Grisoni, which enjoyed success on the festival circuit and won the grand jury prize at the Salento International Film Festival. Rankin now continues to film commercial and personal projects independently.

Rankin lives in London with his wife Tuuli and his son Lyle.

Painting Pretty Pictures by Rankin is distributed in the UK by Turnaround, priced £25. An exhibition of the work will run from 30th July – 29th August at Annroy Gallery, details can be found at www.rankin.co.uk.