Erwin Olaf

Il Ponte Contemporanea, Rome
Through September 16

The work of the Dutch artist Erwin Olaf gravitates around two dominant themes—homosexuality and the world of fashion. In his Roman solo exhibition Fashion Victims, the artist shows nine photographs distinguished by a particular accuracy in the study of color and above all by careful attention to shading and chiaroscuro effects.

These images, whose vitreous clarity exemplifies a trait typical of Dutch art, propose the same subtle chromatic variation found in the works of Olaf’s first decade, from 1985 to 1995, when the artist expressed himself using only black and white. His new works play on the minimal modulations of brown in its variations from oak, mahogany and ebony. In each piece, these shades are found on every element, from the environments to the skin color of the male and female forms captured by the lens.

The works shown recall the theatrics of another cycle done in the past by the artist, the "Chessmen" series (1988)—the medieval armor, fake spider webs and instruments of torture being substituted by generous voluptuous nudes, placed close up as if to offer themselves to the observer’s gaze (a classic feature of fashion shows): the face of the characters is enclosed in a paper bag—similar to the ones that storekeepers use for clothes and accessories—with the signature of the most famous stylists printed on them—which prevents them from seeing, feeling or breathing.

All of the Fashion Victims have this detail in common; Olaf as well doesn’t shy away from declaring himself a victim of fashion, immortalizing himself in a self-portrait with his head covered by a black bag whose golden trademark is in line with the dark tuxedo and the gloved hands.




Angelo Capasso
Translation by Joanne Tedone