Jim Rakete

 

Short biography
Jim Rakete (*1951) is a German photographer and photojournalist. When he was only seventeen he began photographing professionally for daily newspapers and agencies, and took photos of Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles, David Bowie and Mick Jagger.

From 1977 to 1987, he founded his photo agency ‚Fabrik’ in a factory in Kreuzberg, Berlin. During this time, not only did he photograph covers of many german new wave musicians, but he also worked as a music producer and manger. The most famous bands and artists that Rakete managed are Nina Hagen, Nena, Spliff, Interzone, Sternhagel, Morgenrot and Die Ärzte. Since 1987 he has devoted himself fully to photography  and has made portraits of famous musicians and people in the film world. Til Schweiger, Meret Becker, Moritz Bleibtreu, Wolfgang Michels, Jürgen Vogel und Annett Louisan are but a few examples. He also places a special interest on up-and-coming talents. After a long stay in Hamburg, he moved back to Berlin in 2001 and has his studio in Kreuzberg.

In the night of June 17th 1980 (at the time, the national holiday of German Unity), Jim Rakete photographed a 50-meter long piece of the Berlin Wall near the Potzdmer Platz on which the bandlogo  of Interzone was tagged. He was then arrested by the British military police. This action, however, created a huge promotion effect for the band and its manager.

Photographs
Works by Jim Rakete are available in different editions.