He was inspired by the greats from Leonardo da Vinci to Paul Klee as well as being influenced by the history of Buddhism and Asian art.
[citation needed] In his travels before he arrived in Sydney in 1967 he developed a concept of what he wanted to achieve as an Australian artist.
Rankin subsequently met his current wife Lily Brett, whose own life was etched by tragedy with her parents being survivors of the Holocaust.
The artist recounts that his empathy for Lily and the pity for his first wife's death fused into what he calls "the dark blessing of my life."
His travels to the Australian, American and Mexican deserts became the subject matter for many of his canvases, such as Ridge – Mungo, Golden Prophecy – San Antonio, Grey Sonora Landscape and then led to his Witness Series.
From their home in New York they continue to explore both their Australian roots and culture and the opportunities and challenges of being part of an international community.
In the past 30 years Rankin has held over 100 one-person exhibitions in cities including Paris, Beijing, New York, Cologne and throughout Australia.
He was selected as Australia's official representative in the UNESCO Fortieth Anniversary Exhibition celebrations that toured the world's capitals.