RANKIN Gallery ~ 8070 Melrose Avenue
Inspired by model Dani Smith, photographer RANKIN and artist Damien Hirst have collaborated on a project called "Myths, Monsters and Legends". In their own words:
When Hirst asked Rankin what made him want to do the ʻMyths, Monsters and Legendsʼproject, Rankin replies, “ It was you, man! You excited me with it; I wanted to be a part ofit. I always have dreams about monsters, devils and evil: I get a lot of my ideas from mydreams. I have a fascination with fantasy and reality, and bringing the two together tomake people go, “Wow”. Thatʼs what photography is. It can steal your soul, if only for asplit second. Plus, Iʼm a sucker for anything to do with Rome or Greece.”
When Rankin and Damien discuss working with Dani, Hirst explains how he first met themodel, “I needed a new character in this show that Iʼm working on. I met her throughSante DʼOrazio; heʼd shot her for some books and she wasnʼt scared of hard work. Inmy show, sheʼs supposed to be an unobtainable beauty that an art collector tries topossess. He commissions artists to make sculptures of her - as a sun god and acentaur.” Damien Hirst
