PLATON

I thoroughly enjoyed watching 'Platon photography' which was part of a series on Netflix called 'Abstract'. In this 40 minute documentary it explores Platons background however mostly goes into great detail regarding how he plans his shoots. His photos are less about the finished aesthetic look ( although they are incredibly striking) and more about the one on one bond he creates with his subjects.

British Plato is recognised for his work shooting americas presidents from Bill Clinton to Baraka Obama but he doesn't discriminate in who he chooses to document. He makes sure to do his research on anyone he's photographing and considers the photograph to be a joint effort. This personal touch he extends out just increases the amount of raw emotion you can view in his photos and the feel so real. Additionally the intimacy of the shoots is increased dramatically as he uses film, not digital. This forces him to be unable to check the work hes just taken and simply concentrate on the subject throughout. Personally i also feel theres something special about film - wherever it be the extra steps it takes to extract the photos from the contact sheets or the fact you cannot constantly check your work and delete it, it definitely adds an exclusive touch.

I love how humble he is shown throughout the programme and I feel he has grown so much as a photographer from all the challenges he has faced in his lifetime. For instance Platon himself was a migrant which lead him to be horrifically abused by a random xenophobic. He also has faced the diagnosis of extreme dyslexia. This has only lead him to imbed this into simplicity which stands out on magazine covers and has made him a well known artist. He also has kept inspiration from his heritage with his white backgrounds inspired from the valley of white villas in his hometown Greece.

As far as I am concerned his work could fit into three out of the four themes that kick started our research. The amount of empathy his pictures contain. The narrative that is frozen in time as he shoots an event and finally the connections he makes whilst doing his art- whether it was going back to his roots or in the Congo engaging with repressed women.

All in all Platon is a inspiration or as stated a 'Cultural provocateur' or indeed a 'Bridge builder' all quotes which i whole heartedly agree with.