The Platinum Egg 2011: Mikael Jansson.
By the age of ten, Mikael Jansson has already picked up the camera. His father gives him an Instamatic, and at home in suburban Stockholm, he commences photographing birds and setting up little still lifes. Early on, he develops an interest in documentary. As a young photographer, Mikael shoots many bands and performers. Through a photo model he meets while standing in line to buy Bowie tickets, he meets photographer Carl-Johan Rönn. He becomes Rönn’s assistant for five very educational years.... In the mid-80s, Mikael goes to New York, hoping to work for Richard Avedon, the legendary fashion and portrait photographer. It takes a while, but after a few months he manages to get an interview. For two years, he assists Richard Avedon on campaigns for Versace and fashion reporting for Vogue, and grinds away in the darkroom, printing portraits Avedon has shot for his “American West” project. After this, Mikael Jansson’s own career takes off. He pursues a mix of commercial shoots and fashion reporting, always with a portraitist’s approach to everything he does. Mikael often works with a handheld camera, and develops an undeniable talent for capturing the moment. In 1998, he publishes a series of nudes referencing Andy Warhol in Dutch Magazine and garners global attention. Mikael photographs the world’s most renowned actors, performers and models, capturing a feeling of intimacy rarely otherwise encountered in such shoots. His photos appear in publications like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Visionnaire and W – and he is still frequently engaged by Swedish agencies for advertising work. By the time Mikael Jansson receives his Platinum Egg, he has already spent a quarter century among the international elite. He rarely gives interviews and avoids the spotlight himself, but continues to refine his craft and remains in demand by the world’s great fashion houses.