After working for British Vogue for several years, Platon was invited to NYC to work for the late John Kennedy Jr. and his political magazine, George.
Shooting portraits for a range of international publications including Rolling Stone, the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Esquire, GQ, WIRED and the Sunday Times Magazine, Platon developed a special relationship with Time magazine, producing over 20 covers. In 2007, he photographed Russian Premier Vladimir Putin for Time magazine’s Person Of The Year Cover. This image was awarded 1st prize at the World Press Photo Contest.
In 2008 he signed a multi-year contract with The New Yorker. As the staff photographer, he has produced a series of large-scale photo essays, two of which won ASME Awards in 2009 and 2010. Platon’s New Yorker portfolios have focused on many themes the U.S Military, portraits of world leaders and the Civil Rights Movement.
The following year, Platon teamed up with the Human Rights Watch to help them celebrate those who fight for equality and justice in countries suppressed by political forces. These projects have highlighted human rights defenders from Burma as well as the leaders of the Egyptian revolution. Following his coverage of Burma, Platon photographed Aung San Suu Kyi for the cover of Time - days after her release from house arrest.In 2011, Platon was honored with a Peabody Award for collaboration on the topic of Russia’s Civil Society with The New Yorker magazine and Human Rights Watch.
The publication of Platon's first monograph ‘Platon’s Republic’ [Phaidon Press, 2004] coincided with international exhibitions in London at the ex-Saatchi Gallery as well as the Milk Gallery in New York.
His second book, ‘Power’ - a collection of portraits of over 100 world leaders - was published in 2011 by Chronicle and includes portraits of Barack Obama, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, Hugo Chavez, Tony Blair, Robert Mugabe and Muammar Qaddafi.
Public speaking now plays a major role in Platon’s career as communicator and storyteller and is represented by the Washington Speakers Bureau. He has been invited to be a keynote speaker on leadership at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Chanel, Nike, Yale University, Oxford University, Wharton University, the National Portrait Gallery in London and International Center of Photography in NY. He has also appeared on a range of television media including Charlie Rose (PBS), Morning Joe (MSNBC), Fareed Zakaria's GPS (CNN) and the BBC World News.
Platon’s work has been exhibited in galleries and museums both domestically and abroad. He has exhibited in New York at the Matthew Marks Gallery and the Howard Greenberg Gallery, as well as internationally at the Colette Gallery in Paris, France. The New York Historical Society has exhibited a solo show of Platon’s Civil Rights photographs, which remain as part of the museum's permanent collection. Other permanent collections holding Platon's photography include The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in Tampa, Florida and The Westlicht Museum for Photography in Vienna, Austria and the Scotland National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh.
Platon is a member of the Global Leadership Council for the World Economic Forum.
Projects credited in
- Leaders with social heart: 100 creative changemakersCelebrating social responsibility is at the heart of what we do, so we've partnered with Squarespace – whose mission is to inspire people with creative ideas to succeed – to shine a light on 100 influential luminaries from art, technology, charity, design, business and more that are working tirelessly to make our world a better place. To highlight these organisations, we asked 10 creative changemakers to each nominate 10 people behind inspiring brands, products and movements with amazing social
- The American Civil Rights MovementDuring 2009 and 2010, Platon traveled the United States to honor those people whose commitment and struggle led to the success of the American Civil Rights Movement, and to recapture symbols that defined the era. Addressing the racially prejudicial laws put into place following the American Civil War, the originally grassroots movement grew quickly in scope and became dedicated to ending segregation and ensuring freedom and equality for all US citizens. This portfolio was commissioned by The N13
- US Immigration: Families Torn ApartThis collaboration between The People’s Portfolio and Human Rights Watch highlights immigrants whose stories illustrate unjust immigration laws in the United States—and in particular, the destructive impact of deportations on families. The project puts a human face to provisions in the Immigration Reform Bill that recently passed in the United States senate, showing the very broad ways in which the immigration system is broken, and what changes are most desperately needed. See all imagery here.9
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Work history
FounderThe People’s Portfolio
New York, United StatesFull Time
The People’s Portfolio aspires to create a visual language that breaks barriers, expands dignity, fights discrimination, and enlists the public to support human rights for all.
Skills
- Photography
- Effective Communicator