Erwin Olaf : The Biography

Erwin Olaf, renowned for his bold photography, evolved from avant-gardist to celebrated artist. This biography, based on his archives, honors his legacy and queer advocacy. Publication accompanying the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam exhibition of the same name, running from 10 October 2025 to February 2026.

It was a shock when Erwin Olaf passed away unexpectedly in 2023 while recovering from a lung transplant. In the 1980s and 1990s, he gained fame for his extravagant, sometimes sexually explicit photographs. Inspired by Robert Mapplethorpe, Hans van Manen, and Paul Blanca, he found his muses in Amsterdam’s Club RoXY. Over time, he evolved from a rebellious avant-gardist into a celebrated artist, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to his exhibitions, from The Hague to Shanghai. Throughout his career, he remained true to himself, creating his own universe while tirelessly advocating for the rights of the queer community.

A progressive lung disease prompted Erwin Olaf to put his legacy in order and contribute to this book about his life and work. "I don’t need to come out looking great. But I do want it to be accurate." Mischa Cohen followed Erwin Olaf for years, gaining access to his archives and his life. He spoke with lovers, friends, colleagues, gallerists, curators, muses, and family, and was present at photoshoots. Together, they selected images from his body of work and personal life. And finally, there were the last, emotional encounters in a sterile hospital room.

About the author

Mischa Cohen, in addition to publishing Mijn meningen zijn feiten (2020), also authored De nazi-leerling (2020, 4th edition) with Atlas Contact. Elsewhere, he published Mijn naam is Cohen. He was nominated twice for De Tegel and won the prestigious journalism award in 2014 for 'Die fucking datum', a piece on the aftermath of Theo van Gogh’s murder. His story on the Charlie Hebdo editorial team following the January 7, 2015, terrorist attack was nominated for a Mercur, the award for the best magazine reportage of the year. These works were published in Vrij Nederland, the weekly-turned-monthly magazine where Cohen served as an editor for over three decades.

Summary

Deutscher Text weiter unten

“I really don’t need to look great, but I do want it to be right.” — Erwin Olaf. “Like a painter beginning with a blank canvas, Erwin Olaf created his own world.” — Rineke Dijkstra. Erwin Olaf Springveld (1959–2023) gained recognition for his extravagant and sometimes sexually explicit images. He found his muses in the nightlife scene and developed from a rebellious avant-gardist to an internationally celebrated artist. Until his unexpected death, he remained the creator of his own unique universe and continued to advocate for the rights of the queer community. Journalist Mischa Cohen followed Erwin Olaf for years, gaining access to his archive, his studio and his personal life. He attended photo shoots and spoke to loved ones, friends, colleagues, gallerists, curators and family. This monumental biography contains dozens of photographs and is an essential reference work for anyone who loves photography.

„Ich muss nicht großartig aussehen, aber ich will, dass es richtig ist.“ — Erwin Olaf. „Wie ein Maler, der mit einer leeren Leinwand beginnt, schuf Erwin Olaf seine eigene Welt.“ — Rineke Dijkstra. Erwin Olaf Springveld (1959-2023) wurde durch seine extravaganten und manchmal sexuell expliziten Bilder bekannt. Er fand seine Musen im Nachtleben und entwickelte sich vom rebellischen Avantgardisten zu einem international gefeierten Künstler. Bis zu seinem unerwarteten Tod blieb er Schöpfer seines einzigartigen Universums und setzte sich kontinuierlich für die Rechte der queeren Community ein. Der Journalist Mischa Cohen verfolgte Erwin Olafs Schaffen jahrelang und erhielt Zugang zu seinem Archiv, seinem Atelier und seinem Privatleben. Er besuchte Fotoshootings und sprach mit Vertrauten, Freunden, Kollegen, Galeristen, Kuratoren und seiner Familie. Diese monumentale Biografie enthält Dutzende von Fotos und ist ein unverzichtbares Nachschlagewerk für jeden, der Fotografie liebt.

Product details

• Authors: Mischa Cohen, Misha Cohen
• Publisher: Thames and Hudson Distributed Titles
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 17.11.2025
• EAN: 9789464941982
• ISBN: 978-94-64-94198-2
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Art > Plastic arts; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Biographies, autobiographies; Künste, Bildende Kunst allgemein, auseinandersetzen