10 21 March 2020I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113
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TMED
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Adocumentaryabouttheportraitphotographer
Platonisanear-perfectbodyofworkthatgets
right to the heart of the artistic process
View point
Jon Bentley
© NETFLIX
I
’msometimesfrustratedbythe
qualityof photographyprogrammes
onthetelly,buttheotherdayI was
stunnedbya showthatI thinkis
nearperfect.Asit’ssomewhatremotefrom
mainstreamprimetime,buriedin a Netflix
seriesongraphicdesigncalledAbstract:the
Artof Design, I thinkit wouldberemiss of
menotto drawit to yourattention.
Thesubjectof the46-minute
documentary,directedbyRichardPress,
is celebratedGreek-Britishportrait
photographerPlatonAntoniou,who
normallygoesbythesinglenamePlaton.
He’screatedsomeof themosticonic
imagesof thisgeneration’sglobalfigures.
A themerunningthroughtheprogramme
is a portraitsessionwithformerUS
Secretaryof StateColinPowellin Platon’s
NewYorkstudios.Thephotographeris
astonishinglyarticulatetalkingabouthow
hecapturesthosememorableportraits.
‘Havinga portraittakenis a
collaborationora danceora battle.
Beforea shootI’mnotthinkinghowcanI
geta goodpicture.I’mthinkingwhatcanI
learnfromthisperson,’hesays.Hebegins
witha longlensshootingheadshotsin
colour.‘ThenI breakthrougha tinybit.
Andinsteadof takingit, absorbingit, I give
it rightbackx1,000.AndI normallyyellat
theirface“Amazing!”Theshockof that
destroysallwallstheythoughttheywere
building.’Thenit’sblack& whitewitha
blackbackground‘becauseI wanta sense
of closedintimacy’.
Platonmakesa fewsagecomments
abouthisequipment,butnottoomany.
We learn that he still shoots with fi lm
becausehethinksthatwithdigitalyou’re
constantlylookingat imagesona screen
andyoulosetheintimacybetweenthe
photographerandthesubject.Helikesto
workwiththesametypeof film,thesame
Hasselbladcameraandidenticallights
becausekeepingthemconstant‘allows
themessagetochange’.Oneof hismost
cherishedpiecesof technologyis, perhaps
surprisingly,hisfilmscanner.It ‘wasbuilt
byNASAin theeighties.It does
somethingbeautifultothegrainthatyou
justcan’tgetwithotherscanners’.
Powersofobservation
There’salsotheinfluenceof his
upbringingin Greecewhereweseehim
shootingpersonalphotosonhisLeicaM
whilerevealinghowhislifethere,and
walkswithhisarchitectfather,shapedhis
powersof observation.Welearnabouthis
experiencesof racismgrowingupin
London,hisworkembeddedwiththeUS
militaryand,perhapsmostmovingly,we
seehimphotographingwomenwhoare
rapevictimsof warin theCongo.
In short,theprogrammeis instructive,
insightful,powerfulandcomprehensive.It
shouldbea templateforprofilesof other
photographers.If you’rein searchof a
subjectonwhichto tryoutyourcamera’s
videocapabilities,considerprofilinga friend
who’sa keenphotographer.Theymaynot
havetheprofile andpicture-taking
prowessof Platonbuttheycouldstillmake
anabsorbingandthought-provokingfilm.
JonBentleyis a TVproducerandpresenterbestknown
forTop Gear and Channel 5’s The Gadget Show
© CL AIRE GILLO
© ANGELA NICHOLSON
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In next week’s issue
On sale Tuesday 24 March
The Netflix seriesAbstract: the Art of Design features an episode on the photographer Platon