Iconic British brand and inventor of the lava lamp, Mathmos, has announced a limited edition collaboration of its design classic Astro lava lamp with renowned photographer and creative Rankin. The photography for the Rankin lava lamp has been shot by the legendary photographer himself and will feature on the exclusive limited edition boxes.

Mathmos was founded in 1963 by British inventor, entrepreneur and eccentric Edward Craven Walker. The Astro lava lamp was then launched in 1963 and has been in continuous British production ever since. It is widely recognised as a pop design classic and features in several museum collections.

The Mathmos x Rankin limited edition 60th Anniversary Astro lava lamp is the second time Rankin has collaborated with Mathmos, with Rankin shooting a series of iconic images with Mathmos lamps in 2000 for alternative style and culture magazine Dazed & Confused.

Rankin’s 60th Anniversary limited edition Astro lava lamp uses his favourite colours of blue with an aquamarine lava combination. He chose to customise a Vinyl Astro, which features lines etched into the base and cap metal resembling a vinyl record with music-inspired lead with a translucent switch and plug.

Rankin’s name is etched into the front of the cap, with the words “LET THERE BE LIGHT” on top of the metal cap. Rankin has photographed his lava lamp design for the unique box, and the security sticker with the 1 – 600 limited edition number under the lamp.

“Mathmos lava lamps are a piece of design history, and it’s been great to reinterpret my work with them from the 00’s into this fresh design to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of Mathmos and the Astro lava lamp. I’ve used my favourite colours and really enjoyed the whole process of designing and then shooting the lamp.” Rankin.

“Rankin is a British trailblazer and has played a part in shaping our culture with his iconic imagery over the years. It felt fitting to celebrate our own milestone birthday with a collaborative Limited Edition design that brings together his favourite colour and design history in our Astro lamp. The Rankin x Mathmos Astro lava lamp is a psychedelic and calming lamp, that we hope our fans will love as much as we do.” Cressida Granger, Mathmos.

Founded in 1963 by Edward Craven Walker, Mathmos has been led by Cressida Granger since 1989. From its manufacturing base in Dorset, Mathmos has produced and sold millions of its iconic lava lamps globally, gaining a host of awards and cult following along the way. The Astro was the first lava lamp launched in 1963 and designed by Edward Craven Walker, and it has been in continuous British production since its launch. The Mathmos Astro lava lamp is part of several museum collections and is widely recognised as a pop design classic.

Now, to celebrate its 60th anniversary, Mathmos has chosen five collaborators to create bespoke limited edition Astro lava lamps, announcing a limited edition partnership weekly throughout October.

Mathmos chose creative collaborators who they felt would each bring something new to the classic Astro. Collaborators were selected from the worlds of design, music, and photography. Mathmos is proudly British and European, so collaborators from the UK and continental Europe were chosen.

Each collaboration is strictly limited to 600 pieces, and each piece is numbered. Made by hand in Britain, each collaboration will drop weekly every Thursday from 28th September. Each lamp will be £130 / 150EU, including delivery, and available exclusively from Mathmos websites. Mathmos lava lamps are widely collected and make fantastic gifts, so move swiftly to secure these unique pieces.

Notes to editors:

Press information
For further press information, press loans and high-res images please contact:

The Design Collective
Amy Dollamore | amy@thedesigncollective.co.uk | 07855 527 217
Susanna Joicey-Cecil | susanna@thedesigncollective.co.uk | 07919 221 124

ABOUT RANKIN

Rankin is a British photographer, publisher, and film director alongside being head of the eponymous agency RANKIN Creative, which hosts an 80+ strong team that puts strategy, creative and production all under one roof.

Through RANKIN Creative, he is best known for work that is on the cultural cusp and leading future trends: producing rule-breaking campaigns for brands such as Unilever, L’Oreal and Samsonite; creating wide reaching projects for charities including Women’s Aid and Macmillan; and shooting music videos for the likes of Miley Cyrus, Rita Ora and Kelis.

As a photographer Rankin’s portfolio ranges from portraiture to documentary. Tapping into the consciousness of the 90s and 00s with his intimate approach and playful sense of humour, Rankin became known for his portraiture of bands, artists, supermodels and politicians. Having photographed everyone from the Queen of England to the Queen of Pop, Rankin is often seen as a celebrity photographer. However, his plethora of campaigns and projects featuring ‘real women’ marked him out as a genuinely passionate portrait photographer.

Rankin made his name in publishing, founding the seminal monthly magazine Dazed & Confused with Jefferson Hack in 1991. It provided a platform for emerging stylists, designers, photographers and writers. The magazine went on to forge a distinctive mark in the arts and publishing spheres, and developed a cult status forming and moulding trends. It is responsible for bringing some of the biggest names in fashion to the foreground. Today, Dazed Media is a leading online fashion and cultural brand.

ABOUT MATHMOS

Mathmos was established in 1963 by the inventor of lava lamps Edward Craven Walker. Mathmos have been manufacturing their premium range of lava lamps in Britain ever since.

Mathmos ship their lava lamps fresh from their factory in Poole, Dorset directly to customers all over Europe from their 10 European websites, see www.mathmos.com