Born in the Greek islands, established in the UK, but honestly a citizen of the world kind of personality, Platon is one of those iconic names that manage to capture moments, people and movements in a unique way, both as an astute observer and as a remarkable opinion-maker His ability to have a point on culture and the state of the world through photography is probably surpassed only by his memorable talks on the world’s creative stages.
A DIFFERENT LOOK ON CHINA
With China on the world’s radar for the last couple of years, from tech advancement to political tensions, we wanted to take a step back and use a different lens and “China: through the looking glass” was an irresistible choice.
FASHION SPEAKS CULTURE
A MET initiative from a few years back, yet still incredibly fresh, the project aims to reveal the constant fascination of the West with Chinese fashion and culture, translated as continuous inspiration for the high fashion industry. Platon spent months photographing high fashion designers’ work, such as Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen, and Yves Saint Laurent, as well as the traditional Chinese costume and decorative art objects. Knowing his background and passion for Chinese culture and the high fashion industry, the Metropolitan Art Museum commissioned the photographs for a companion book to the 2015th Met Gala, where he worked alongside curator Andrew Bolton.
CULTURAL MEDIATORS
In a press release by the Metropolitan Art Museum, he spoke about his work and the importance of artists as cultural mediators: “I was very keen to cross the border between art and fashion, and to photograph objects from the Met’s Chinese collection, as well as the dresses that were inspired by the artifacts themselves. I’ve travelled through China extensively, but it’s very different when you’re studying details of objects on which people have spent so much time, love, and attention.”
The attention to detail and attentiveness with which he took the pictures show his passion for the art and the culture he photographed. The project is truly unique with extensive research and careful planning: “What’s really extraordinary, above all, is that no two pictures look alike. We have really found a way of bringing the personality out of each garment by creating a sense of neutrality with the studio and the mannequins.” he continued in the same interview for The Met.
GOD IS IN THE DETAILS
Though a stunning culture mediation project with an incredible eye for detail, this is just one of the notable projects that Antoniu Platon created during his fascinating career.
His photography collection can be admired more in-depth on Platon’s website, and the book can be bought from the Met’s website.