Erwin Olaf: I AM – Dutch edition

On the occasion of Erwin Olaf’s sixtieth birthday, the photographer presents the first extensive overview of his work. The fist-sized book with no less than 240 photographs shows both his earliest black-and-white images and his iconic free work, up to the latest – and until now unpublished – series he made in Shanghai and Palm Springs.

This chronological overview describes the unique vision of the artist and his evolution during the past four decades, from brutal provocateur in the Amsterdam nightlife to royal portraitist and master of the stillness. Olaf masters the art of photography down to the smallest details and offers a wry, penetrating commentary on the context of his work.

Erwin Olaf: I AM is published in different countries, in different languages, in different covers, by different publishers. At MENDO we offer the Dutch edition that comes with the blue cover and the English edition that comes with a pink cover.

The photo book accompanies a large retrospective at several locations. The start will be given with a double exhibition in the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, the Fotomuseum in The Hague (from 16 February to 12 May 2019) and the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam (from 2 July to 22 September 2019). The exhibition also travels to other locations in Europe, China, South Korea and the United States.