Amateur Photographer - UK (2020-03-21)

10 21 March 2020I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113

THE

VEWS

EXPRESSED IN THIS COLUMN ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER

MAGA Z

NE
OR
TMED

AL

MTED

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