With 'Silver' the Groningen Museum presents a survey of 25 years of Erwin Olaf's photography. This retrospective includes a wide selection from his much-discussed autonomous work. In addition there is a selection from Olaf's documentary and advertising photography, and various films and videos he has made are being shown. Erwin Olaf is one of the few Dutch photographers who has been successful in both the advertising world and the gallery and museum circuit. He began as a photojournalist for international papers like 'The Advocate' and 'The Gay Times', but in 1984 learned the art of the monumental studio portrait from he choreographer-photographer Hans van Manen.

To the - until then well-behaved - tradition of the Dutch glamour portrait Olaf added invigorating elements such as fantasy, humour and eroticism. Since the series 'Chessmen' (1988) autonomous work has formed the core of his oeuvre. Later followed notable projects such as 'Mind of their Own' (1995) and 'Mature' (2000), in which Olaf photographed young people with Down's syndrome and aged women like real glamour models. In 1993 the city of Groningen commissioned him to make the series 'Table for Ten'. For 'Paradise 2001' Olaf has expanded his frontiers with the aid of computer manipulation, to give a suggestive picture of the party culture.

See also: Groninger Museum