In honor of Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf’s sixtieth birthday, Aperture will release Erwin Olfaf: I Am on April 15. The book presents the first-ever comprehensive survey of Olafs work, merging his early black and white images with his highly acclaimed color work. I Am also includes selections from Olaf’s most recent, and until now unpublished, series shot in Shanghai.

Presented chronologically, the book “traces the evolution of the artist from cheeky provocateur, widely known in fashion photography circles for his commissions in Vogue, Elle, and the New York Times Magazine, to royal portraitist and Dutch sensation, sought after by the Dutch National Ballet – as well as the refinement of his unique vision and stylistic panache over the last four decades,” writes Aperture in a statement. Interspersed among the various series is incisive commentary by Olaf on the inspirations for his work.

I Am will accompany the largest retrospective of Olafs work to date – an international, multiple-venue show that will encompass installations at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; Gemeentemuseum Den Haag; and Fotomuseum Den Haag. Launched in early 2019, the show will subsequently travel to other venues in Europe, Shanghai, and the United States.

Erwin Olaf: I Am
Aperture
Available April 15, 2019
Introduction by Wim van Sinderen
Essays by Mattie Boom, Francis Hodgson, and W. M. Hunt
Interview by Laura Stamps

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