Opening Reception: Friday, May 3, 6-8PM
Artist Led Tour and Book Signing: Saturday, May 4, 2-4 PM
Presented at UTA Artist Space LA
403 Foothill Road, Beverly Hills, CA, 90210
Tuesday – Friday: 10:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday: 11:00am – 4:00pm
UTA Artist Space is thrilled to announce the upcoming opening of PEOPLE POWER PLATON, a retrospective exhibition from world-renowned portrait photographer Platon. The display will serve as an accompaniment to the release of his upcoming book, The Defenders: Heroes of the Fight for Global Human Rights, featuring those freedom fighters juxtaposed with iconic portraits of public figures such as Adele, Cate Blanchett, Bono, and Elon Musk, among others.
The Defenders is a visual testament for the ongoing fight for human rights, justice and freedom around the globe. Platon personifies this struggle through photographing activists and individuals in a series of five photo essays accompanied by texts, taken over the course of 15 years, documenting their struggles in countries including Egypt, Burma, Russia, the United States and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The full-bleed images, both in color and black and white, accentuate the visual artist’s conspicuous technique.
In early 2011, Platon was on the ground in Cairo, Egypt when citizens flooded the streets and called for the resignation of longtime-leader Hosni Mubarak, capturing their fervor on camera. In Burma, he photographed monks, sex workers, former child soldiers, and embroiled political leader Aung San Suu Kyi. During his time in Russia, he captured the images and voices of multigenerational political dissidents who have experienced oppression from their government, contrasted against an image of Vladimir Putin who Platon photographed for TIME magazine’s Person of the Year in 2008. Returning to the U.S., his travels to the southern border documented the strife faced by activists advocating for migrants who continue to be affected by the existing legislature. Coinciding with this chapter are portraits of U.S. presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald J. Trump, each of whom have shaped recent immigration policies. With a final stop in the Democratic Republic of Congo, he offers startling insight into the ongoing sexual violence that has plagued the nation amid a series of civil wars. 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Denis Mukwege serves as the focal point of this chapter, as his Panzi Hospital has served as a refuge for trauma victims.
The versatility of Platon’s work is evidenced through the juxtaposition of his various subjects and the tone in which they elicit. Photos included in The Defenders will be situated against an array of portraits depicting celebrity and political figures, including the late Sinéad O’Connor and Prince, Michelle Obama, Mark Zuckerberg, Al Pacino, and more, bolstering the unique themes of the exhibition.
“It is a rarity to come by a collection of work that is as intrepidly gripping as PEOPLE POWER PLATON,” says UTA Fine Arts Senior Director Harrison Tenzer. “Platon’s portraits encapsulate the parallel between art and modern culture, reminding us all of what we share in common, as well as the extraordinary power that some hold and many have been robbed of.”
UTA Artist Space will be presenting an accompanying online presentation of a selection of Platon’s series The People’s Portfolio: The American Civil Rights Movement. Multiple edition sizes will be available for purchase.
During 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. This portfolio was commissioned by The New Yorker, which used the images to create an interactive portfolio exploring the subject. The series is in the collection of the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.
PEOPLE POWER PLATON will be on display from May 3rd to May 25th at the UTA Artist Space in Beverly Hills.
ABOUT PLATON
Platon is one of the world’s most renowned portrait photographers and has photographed more world leaders than anyone else in history, among them six American presidents. He has photographed over 30 covers for TIME magazine, including Vladimir Putin for its 2008 Person of the Year cover, which was awarded first prize at the World Press Photo Contest. As staff photographer for the New Yorker, he won a Peabody Award and two National Magazine Awards. He has published four books with subjects ranging from the power of world leaders to the dignity of those who serve in the US military. In 2013, Platon founded The People’s Portfolio, a non-profit foundation dedicated to celebrating emerging global leaders in human and civil rights. The People’s Portfolio creates a visual language that breaks barriers, embraces dignity, fights discrimination, and enlists the public to support human rights around the world. Platon serves on the board for Arts and Culture at the World Economic Forum. His work is the subject of a Netflix documentary, Abstract: The Art of Design. His first team, My Body Is Not a Weapon, features survivors of wartime sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo and 2018 Nobel Piece Prize Laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege. In 2020, Platon’s archive of prominent African American civil rights and cultural leaders was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
ABOUT UTA ARTIST SPACE AND FINE ARTS
Since the establishment of its flagship Beverly Hills location in 2018, UTA Artist Space has been committed to showcasing art by globally recognized talent. With the opening of a new Atlanta office and gallery in spring 2023, UTA Artist Space has expanded its impressive vision and reach across the United States. Over the past few years, the galleries have presented notable exhibitions with interdisciplinary artists, curators, and creatives, including The Estate of Ernie Barnes, Mandy El-Sayegh, Enrique Martínez Celaya, Essence Harden and Chloe Chiasson.
The UTA Fine Arts team functions as a link between the dynamic worlds of art, entertainment, and brands by connecting leading contemporary artists to opportunities across film, television, digital, licensing and branding. Such projects include the films of Titus Kaphar and Shirin Neshat. The team also engages with various departments across UTA to connect talent and brands to opportunities within the Fine Arts world.
PRESS CONTACTS
Monica Sheldon
Monica.Sheldon@unitedtalent.com
Anthony Cordi
Anthony.Cordi@unitedtalent.com