Exhibition Erwin Olaf in The Hague

Portrait #5 series Hope 2005

This is the year famous Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf celebrates his 60th birthday. A good moment to celebrate with a huge exhibition.

In two museum in The Hague, the Fotografiemuseum (photografiemuseum) and the Gemeentemuseum are two exhibitions dedictated to Erwin Olaf. In the first museum it is mostly his early work, and in the Gemeentemuseum you can see the photographs he made since 2000.

A friend and I went to the Gemeentemuseum, I was not feeling well, so we did not see the other exhibiton, but the one we saw had beautiful works.

I do not like all of Erin Olaf's work, some of it is a bit too shocking or even crude for my taste, although even in those photographs I can admire the skills in lighting, composition etc.

But the works I do like, I like very much!
Erwin Olaf usually shoots his photographs in a studio, since every detail has to be right. He even has rooms built, like they are filmsets.

Caroline, series Grief 2007

Grace, portrait, series Grief 2007

On the first glance you see a perfect picture, but when you look closer, you see the cracks beneath the smooth surface and the tension in the way people and things are portrayed. Erwin Olaf does this on puropse to make you think about for example the environment or social issues.

American dream , self portrait with Alex, series Palm Springs 2018 

The worker, series Palm Springs 2018

Huai Hai, still life, series Shanghai 2017