Erwin Olaf "Berlin"
March 14 - April 7, 2013
Hasted Kraeutler Gallery
Erwin Olaf's opening reception at Hasted Kraeutler was beyond packed, four rooms were jammed with art lovers from young to old. His portraits of the mighty and the weak are at once disturbing but also beautiful. He used the city Berlin as his backdrop and was inspired by the cinema which one can see with the cinematic lighting in each image. The images have a painterly quality to them and I almost felt like I had been dropped into an Ingmar Bergman film.
On top of the photographs is a large installation placed in the last room in which the viewer can look through the keyholes of two doors and depending on which view they choose, they experience a feeling of either happiness or shame. A large line formed on either end of this installation thursday night. The exhibition is on display through April 27th.