Lesley A. Martin Primary Author mixed material bibliography singapore aperture 2008 monographic en English

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105 p ; 32 cm Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf delivers a velvet-gloved emotional impact with his highly stylized mode of image making. His work offers a blend of mid-century modern and noir aesthetics seen through a contemporary, fashion-inflected lens. The ambience of the series presented in this volumethe first time these three bodies of work have been presented as a wholeis truly enigmatic and enticing. Olaf seduces the viewer via a mannered, restrained palette that is replete with faded avocado greens, golden-hued oranges, and subtle lilacs. Each richly colored and sleekly composed image offers a sly reinterpretation of Norman Rockwell-like iconography and characters, manifesting a nostalgia that both burlesques and wryly celebrates America of the 1950s and 60s. As a whole, the material investigates what critic Jonathan Turner defines as Olafs recent fascination with the visual representation of such emotions of loss, loneliness, and quiet despair. . . . [He] plays games with the idea of cold reality versus cruel artifice, capturing that precise moment when innocence, hope, and joy are lost. BR778.9 MAR e978159711061 Lasalle College Jakarta Library Catalogue BR778.9 MAR e PH10092 Photography BR778.9 MAR e 945 2013-09-13 10:44:14 2016-06-18 13:37:30 machine generated