(Interview of Platon Rivellis by Despina Ladi
for "To Vima-Men" - October 2010)
I have the feeling that my childhood was idyllic. This could be a fact, or it might be due to my memory's tendency to discard bad memories. I owe a lot to my parents and equally to a nanny from Corfu who, during my crucial early years, balanced and complemented my mother's influence.
My parents were not scholars, scientists, or artists, but they managed to create an atmosphere of tranquility, security, and intellectual life at home. Books, classical music, and meaningful conversations were present in a natural and self-evident way. They taught me a lot, but I particularly remember the love and respect for others. "It takes many different people to make a world," my father used to say. "Always put yourself in the other's place," my mother would add.
My contact with cinema dates back to an early age. By thirteen, I was a regular at the Mitropoulou Sisters' Film Club. I understood little, but admired a lot. The first movie I saw was Disney's "Alice in Wonderland" at the age of five, but the one that influenced me the most was George Sidney's "Scaramouche." For many days, I furiously fought duels atop all the furniture in our house.
I believe the values one adopts in life also have, albeit modified, an application in art. If, for instance, someone believes that the superfluous suffocates the essence, or that simplicity is the greatest virtue for the composition of essence, this should be translatable into their art. If someone does not respect the mystery of life, then logically their art will be one-dimensional and self-evident.
Significant decisions in life are almost always made under the threat that they might be completely wrong. For example, when I left my law career, it couldn't be called a significant decision if it were the result of a perfectly rational and weighed study, which could have anticipated all consequences and possibilities. The same goes for when I divorced my first wife or when I left Athens for Syros. In all these cases, the decisions involved risks and fears. However, in our lives, we may make very important decisions without realizing it - small and everyday ones with inestimable consequences.
My relationship with photography initially acted as a reaction, an outlet, and a solace against my then-profession, law. It seemed to me the most accessible tool to engage with art, which was for me the most spiritual way to condense the joy of life. What I didn't expect was that teaching would become the center of my life, enjoyment, and profession, thus stealing the spotlight from creation itself.
I don't believe art is necessarily meant to record happy moments. However, I do believe that a work of art, even when it refers to the most grim situations, should fill the viewer's eyes with tears of joy. How this is achieved is part of the creator's vision and talent.
I find it difficult to define what balanced or happy means. Yet, I never feel unsatisfied. Perhaps a continuous escape forward, covering my doubts and hesitations, is enough for me.
I don't like dreaming about the Cyclades for eleven months and living them in August. I decided to live permanently in Syros for many and various reasons. Athens has all the downsides of a big city and none of the benefits. I believe the best of Greece is found in the Aegean. My wife can't live away from nature, and I can't live away from my wife. A housing loan would suffice for buying a medium apartment in the center of Athens, but it ultimately allowed the acquisition of a large and beautiful house on a hilltop, enhancing the joys of my life. In Syros, I drink my coffee looking at Paros and Naxos, not the opposite apartment building.
I don't know if the final assessment of my life will be positive, at least as positive as I want my memories to be. However, I can repeat and adopt an observation from my photography teacher, Garry Winogrand: "If life is a battle against boredom, then I have won".
Plato Rivellis