MyLuxBook I Winter 2016/17

102 Eclectibles & Chronicles
Erwin Olaf
Time & Rest
Polished, polarising and at the same time
highly stylised. His photographs focus
on social issues, gender politics and social
taboos without appearing trivial.
When ‘Ruinart’ contracts an artist for cooperation every year, the
artist is given a completely free hand and it was this freedom that
appealed to Erwin Olaf. The photographer, who usually visualises
his artistic methods through scenarios in his mind before he
finally captures them photographically, experienced an entirely
new challenge here. We talked to Erwin Olaf about art and the
mysterious cellars of Ruinart.
the glamorous world of champagne. I identified the history and
the heritage of Ruinart on those walls.
Did you manage to achieve your photographic objective
in the way you wanted?
In the end, it is my answer to the question of how to properly
reflect and present the history and heritage of Ruinart. They are
my reflections of the world of Ruinart although I tried to harmonise
them with Ruinart’s history.
For how long did you work on this project?
EO: Overall two years from the first telephone call to today’s exhibition.
You need several days for one subject, you then make
a selection, discuss the details, do the printing, and seek agreement
again and so on.
Your series are very different...Does it bore you to always
take photographs of the same things? From where does
your desire for variation come?
I always try to do my own thing but what is really very important
is that I want to discover something new!
How did the cooperation with Ruinart come about?
Erwin Olaf: I was contacted by Ruinart for cooperation two years
ago. The enticing thing was that absolutely no requirements
were set and that I would therefore have a free hand as a photographer.
But it was a great challenge for me: How can I as a
photographer perform the work for me and for Ruinart without
making it look like advertising?
With whom or what do you celebrate ‘good news’?
With my partner and a wonderful glass of champagne.
And then you ended up in the underground world of
Ruinart...
As we walked through Ruinart’s cellars 38 metres below the
ground, I initially felt a little miserable. It seemed there was
nothing to see but at the same time so much to see. However, it
was not long before I repeatedly discovered reliefs and textures
on the walls. I asked myself why someone had made these reliefs
and I suddenly realised that it was a perfect contrast pole to
“Time and rest are
necessary for letting
the champagne mature.
And you need the same
to create art.”
Erwin Olaf
Photos Copyrights: Erwin Olaf & Maison Ruinart