Erwin Olaf: I Am

In honor of Erwin Olaf’s sixtieth birthday, Erwin Olaf: I Am presents the first comprehensive survey of his work, bringing together his earliest images in black and white with his now iconic color work, including selections from his most recent and heretofore unpublished series shot in Shanghai. This chronological presentation traces the evolution of the artist from cheeky provocateur to royal portraitist, as well as the refinement of his unique vision and stylistic panache over the last four decades.

The book is published to accompany the largest retrospective of Olaf’s work to date, a multiple-venue show that will encompass installations at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; Gemeentemuseum Den Haag; and Fotomuseum Den Haag. Launching in February 2019, the show will subsequently travel to other venues in Europe, Shanghai, and the United States.

About the Authors:

Erwin Olaf (born in Hilversum, the Netherlands, 1959) is a Dutch photographer known for his highly stylized, daring, and often provocative work addressing social issues and taboos. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Johannes Vermeer Award (2011), a Lucie Award (2008), and Photographer of the Year in the International Color Awards (2006). Among other accolades, Olaf received the commission to design the new national side of the Dutch Euro, launched in 2013. In 2008 and 2014 Aperture published volumes one and two of Olaf’s self-titled monographs.

Mattie Boom is curator of photography at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, specializing in international nineteenth- and twentieth-century photography. She is cofounder of the Nederlands Fotogenootschap.

Francis Hodgson is professor in the culture of photography at the University of Brighton, UK, and cofounder of the Prix Pictet. He was previously the photography critic of the Financial Times and head of the photographs department at Sotheby’s.

W. M. Hunt is a longtime photography collector and former art dealer who represented Erwin Olaf in the United States for many years. He is also a writer and teacher based in New York.

Laura Stamps is curator of modern and contemporary art at the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, The Hague. She is an art history graduate of the University of Amsterdam and, amongst others, a member of the Work Field Commission at the Master Artistic Research program, Royal Academy of Art, The Hague.

Wim van Sinderen is a founding member and senior curator of the Fotomuseum Den Haag, The Hague, as well as keeper of the photography collection of Gemeente-museum Den Haag. He is, amongst others, guest curator for the Rencontres d’Arles and nominator for the Prix Pictet.