"Vermeer Noir" might be an apt description of Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf's disquieting image repertoire. His subjects are posed indoors, immobile, somewhat in reverie and bathed in nearby window light--but not tranquilly so. An atmosphere of sinister but clinical indifference attends both them and their environments, rendering them into beautiful but dislocated mannequins in catalogue-furnished interiors. All sense of belonging to a place is eliminated. Each richly colored and sleekly composed image offers a sly ...
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"Vermeer Noir" might be an apt description of Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf's disquieting image repertoire. His subjects are posed indoors, immobile, somewhat in reverie and bathed in nearby window light--but not tranquilly so. An atmosphere of sinister but clinical indifference attends both them and their environments, rendering them into beautiful but dislocated mannequins in catalogue-furnished interiors. All sense of belonging to a place is eliminated. 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 celebrates America of the 1950s and 60s. Dramatic emotions are hinted at but left ambiguous; certainly nothing in the models' surroundings suggests a cause. Here, across three themes of Hope, Grief and Rain, Olaf blends mid-century Modern and Noir in the lens of contemporary fashion. Avocado greens, golden-hued oranges and subtle lilacs brighten and deaden simultaneously, sending an irresolvable tension through his scenarios like an electric current. This tension, strung between the polar effects of zing and muteness, is the line Olaf treads in his pictures. As a whole, the work defines what critic Jonathan Turner usefully describes as "Olaf's recent fascination with the visual representation of such emotions as 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." The book comes with a DVD.
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Add this copy of Erwin Olaf to cart. $132.00, very good condition, Sold by Design Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from New York, NY, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Aperture.
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Seller's Description:
Near Fine. This is a near fine hardcover copy without dust jacket as issued with almost no wear. The back cover of the book has a few scuffs. Completely clean. Illustrated in color with Erwin Olaf's photographs. Essay by Alasdair Foster. Stated first edition. 13" high X 10" wide, 111 pages. Large heavy book, foreign shipping will be extra. This book will be securely wrapped and packed in a sturdy box and shipped with tracking.
Add this copy of Erwin Olaf [With Dvd] to cart. $142.00, very good condition, Sold by Hennessey + Ingalls rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Los Angeles, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Aperture.
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Seller's Description:
Used-Very Good. 'Vermeer Noir' might be an apt description of Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf's disquieting image repertoire. His subjects are posed indoors, immobile, somewhat in reverie and bathed in nearby window light--but not tranquilly so. An atmosphere of sinister but clinical indifference attends both them and their environments, rendering them into beautiful but dislocated mannequins in catalogue-furnished interiors. All sense of belonging to a place is eliminated. 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 celebrates America of the 1950s and 60s. Dramatic emotions are hinted at but left ambiguous; certainly nothing in the models' surroundings suggests a cause. Here, across three themes of Hope, Grief and Rain, Olaf blends mid-century Modern and Noir in the lens of contemporary fashion. Avocado greens, golden-hued oranges and subtle lilacs brighten and deaden simultaneously, sending an irresolvable tension through his scenarios like an electric current. This tension, strung between the polar effects of zing and muteness, is the line Olaf treads in his pictures. As a whole, the work defines what critic Jonathan Turner usefully describes as 'Olaf's recent fascination with the visual representation of such emotions as 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. ' The book comes with a DVD. Front & back cover lightly faded oth4rwise a nice clean tight copy.
Add this copy of Erwin Olaf to cart. $157.00, very good condition, Sold by Moe's Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Berkeley, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Aperture.
Add this copy of Erwin Olaf to cart. $219.18, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Clarita, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Aperture.
Add this copy of Erwin Olaf to cart. $209.00, very good condition, Sold by Hourglass Books rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Vancouver, BC, CANADA, published 2008 by Aperture Foundation.
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Seller's Description:
Near Fine. No Jacket as Issued. Book Complete number line from 1 to 10; minor wear; otherwise a solid, clean copy with no marking or underlining; collectible condition; illustrated with color photographs by Erwin Olaf; contains a DVD entitled Erwin Olaf, Selected Films.
