An Exploding World

More about the book

Photographer Rankin’s latest coffee-table book emphasizes creativity as a vital tool for mental well-being. This limited edition, a companion to Embrace (Rankin Publishing, 2021), delves into the aesthetic of destruction through apocalyptic imagery reminiscent of nuclear explosions and comets. For Rankin, the project became an intimate exploration of artistic expression during lockdown isolation, celebrating the creativity that emerged from it. Designed by long-time collaborators SEA, this work is deeply personal, intertwined with Rankin's mental health journey. In 2020, he found himself cut off from his studio and collaborators for the first time in his 30-year career, prompting him to seek inspiration in nature. Obsessed with the perfection of dandelion seed heads, which symbolize courage and healing, Rankin found comfort in them during stressful times. By setting these dandelions alight, he created a visual metaphor for his feelings and the state of the world. He reflects, "When fire burns through the forest, the old growth burns away to allow space for the new forest to emerge," suggesting that his artistic process helped him clear mental space and find new creative outlets. The book features exclusive imagery, a personal introduction, and an interview with Rankin discussing his inspirations and artistic process. An Exploding World reveals a different facet of Rankin’s work, intertwining themes of beauty and death that ha