Erwin Olaf first started his journey by documenting the nightlife during the 1980’s. Since then he has done a mixture of series; in black and white (squares, chessmen and blacks) as well as some in colour (rain, hope, mind of their own, dusk and dawn).
Olaf developed his theme after starting these series, where the image seemed average until you start to dissect it. For example, the image above seems like she is simply at a hairdresser’s however they both wear a look of deep concentration or possibly sadness. This then makes you question, do they know each other? Have they had an argument?
He has done commission work for big companies such as Louis Vuitton and Vogue.
This picture has quite a dull theme despite the yellows, but combining the yellow with the brown leaves the image with quite a bland theme. The two models within the room are quite tense; she’s looking away, almost avoiding eye contact with a brooding look whilst he looks at her. The door is left open which could mean she has only just entered the room meaning this was a quick interaction.
Following his common theme, it appears as though they have had some form of argument due to the serious look upon the woman’s face, whilst the man in the back seems to be lost in his thoughts. They could have been recovering from a previous fight and she is trying to convince herself to enter the room.
The majority of Erwin’s series involve similar lighting giving the series something to link them together. He mainly has quite dimmed lighting which gives the scene a darker feel to it.
stevenson.snaps 