About The Exhibition
Andrew Rankin has a long term interest in escapist fantasies and the role they play in contemporary society. In previous projects he has sought out individuals who choose to live at the threshold between real and fantasy life, creating for themselves an augmented, more preferable reality. In this new work Rankin examines his own engagement with the media; considering it as a mechanism and catalyst for creating fantasies and shaping idealised expectations of love and happiness. In Close to You, the artist has made a series of screen portraits of famous Hollywood actresses from popular films. He has written letters to each of these actresses to ask them to participate in his latest project and visited the locations of key scenes from these films, presenting these sites as projections of his own desire.
The Artists
Andrew Rankin
Andrew Rankin is a 2010 graduate of the BA(Hons) Photography course at the University of Ulster Belfast. Since graduating Andrew has co-founded Belfast Photo Factory, a collective now in its fourth year of operation. He is also a founding partner of This is Work, A creative partnership working in the field of art direction.
Acknowledgements
Belfast Exposed Futures is generously supported by the Foyle Foundation, Arts Council Northern Ireland, The British Council and The Directory.