He has photographed more world leaders than anyone else but always in his heart (and his works) is Greece
He has photographed the most powerful leaders in the world and other iconic personalities of our time, but always in his heart (and his works) is Greece and specifically Paros, where he lived the first eight years of his life.
Platon (Platon Antoniou is his full name) is one of the most famous portrait photographers in the world. He has photographed more world leaders than anyone else in history: from Bill Clinton, the first American president he photographed before all his successors, to Vladimir Putin and Muammar Gaddafi.
He was born in London, but lived the first eight years of his life in Greece. His Greek father was an architect and worked in those years alongside the pioneer, Konstantinos Doxiadis. During the years of their stay in Greece, Platon and his parents spent most of their lives in the village of Lefkes in Paros.
His Greek origin has influenced Platon in the way he thinks, but also in his creations, as he himself admits.
“In Greece I learned to be welcoming and warm,” he says characteristically. “There is a warmth that comes from Greek culture and above all, it is the opportunity to treat someone you don’t know as a guest but as a stranger. This has been a central theme in my work as a photographer.”
Today, the famous photographer of Greek origin delivers to the public a short film dedicated to refugees, wanting to speak again about a supreme Greek value: hospitality.
Film tribute to Greece
This reception of people as guests in Paros, but also his meeting with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, inspired him in the film “Portrait of a Stranger”. “The film is a tribute to Greece, to the people in the villages who treat foreigners not as strangers but as guests. Traditionally, Greek hospitality is famous all over the world and I am Greek, so I invited many refugees to come to the studios I set up in different places and tell me their stories,” Platon points out.
The film was shot in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and premiered at the International Film Festival for Human Rights “Movies that Matter” in The Hague. It includes portraits and interviews with more than 20 refugees, who live in different parts of the world, seeking freedom, safety and respect. The refugees are of different ages, nationalities and countries of origin, elements which are often not mentioned in the film, in order to allow the viewer to see beyond the dividing lines and emphasize the common universal values.
The Life and Work of Plato
He was born in London, lived 8 years in Paros and at the age of i moved with his parents to London again, where growing up he had the opportunity to study at the famous St. Martin’s.
He then came to America at the invitation of John Kennedy Jr. to work for George magazine. Since then he has collaborated with the biggest magazines: New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Esquire.
He has also photographed over 30 covers for TIME magazine and is a World Press Photo awardee. His work has been featured in one of the episodes of the documentary series ‘Abstract: The Art of Design’ on Netflix.
All his work, he confesses to APE-MPE, is inspired by his memories from Greece. The white background in the black and white portraits, which are a trademark of his work, “is a tribute to the white houses in Lefkes of Paros, a fundamental tribute to my culture”. His color portraits are often framed by a blue glow and are also “a tribute to the images I saw in churches as a child and the halo around each figure”. As he characteristically adds, “in this way, Lefkes found their way through my work to the most powerful corridors in the world. I’m very lucky to be Greek, that’s how I feel.”
He has another short film in the works, this time dedicated to the people living in the villages of Paros and he is excited about it: “I have been taking pictures in Greece since I was a teenager. Every time I came home I photographed the grandmothers, the grandfathers, the baker, the fishermen. So I have an incredible archive of portraits of a culture that’s kind of disappeared, and I’m going back with my team to make a film that includes those photos as well. Like a love poem for Greek culture”.
Photos from the photographer’s website platonphoto.com
Source :Skai
I am Frederick Tuttle, who works in 247 News Agency as an author and mostly cover entertainment news. I have worked in this industry for 10 years and have gained a lot of experience. I am a very hard worker and always strive to get the best out of my work. I am also very passionate about my work and always try to keep up with the latest news and trends.
