About the Work
Don't Stop Dreaming is a photographic series shaped by solitude, memory, and emotional reflection. Created in the deserts of Joshua Tree and Palm Springs, the work explores how quiet, expansive landscapes can act as mirrors for internal transformation. Through a restrained use of light, form, and space, each image becomes a moment of stillness-an attempt to locate emotional clarity within silence.
The series is not about the desert as a physical place, but as a metaphor: for grief, resilience, and the quiet possibility of becoming. Among the works is Homage Erwin Olaf (Palm Springs), a tribute to the late Dutch photographer whose influence and presence continue to shape Ruben's path.
A Personal Tribute
Ruben van Schalm's creative connection with Erwin Olaf began over fifteen years ago. As Olaf wrote in the 2020 foreword to Paradise: "It must have been about fifteen years ago when I received a letter in the mail, containing some photographs of a boy from a village not far from the Netherlands' largest harbor. The letter was signed by Ruben van Schalm, and from the pictures, Ruben himself watched his spectators with a mixture of embarrassment and ambition. I was intrigued by his fragile, pale appearance. Offering himself as model for me to work with, it certainly seemed worth the time to extend him an invitation for a photo shoot in my studio."
That invitation marked the beginning of an ongoing creative exchange. Ruben went on to appear in Olaf's photographic series Fall, contributed to commercial shoots including work with DJ Roger Sanchez, and acted in Olaf's short film La Tristesse Riche.
In the same foreword, Olaf reflected on Ruben's commitment and shared sensibility: Our photographic introduction resulted in some interesting photographs and ever since then, I have had the pleasure to work with Ruben on several occasions in photography and film, as well as the hedonistic parties that I have organized in Paradiso (Amsterdam's liberal temple of pop culture) with an emancipating goal, for often suppressed (sexual) minorities in our society. As both an actor and model, Ruben always contributed to the process. In every project we have worked on together, he has given his full 100 percent. I remember the time when he asked, dressed as Commedia dell'Arte's miserable Pierrot, if I needed an extra 'kitsch' element. When I answered affirmatively, it was a matter of seconds before tears began to run down Ruben's face, his eyes expressing an immeasurable sadness.
Olaf praised Ruben's eye for detail and technique, and wrote: "The artist has not only succeeded in capturing the beauty of man, but also the fragility of our surroundings... Ruben van Schalm stands on the shoulders of male nude photographers of prior generations, paying a tribute with this series... I am particularly curious and eagerly looking forward to seeing how Ruben's work will develop over the years to come."
Although Olaf never saw Don't Stop Dreaming, it was his belief in Ruben's potential-and his encouragement to continue-that helped bring this series into being. Homage Erwin Olaf is a gesture of gratitude: a thank-you in image form.
To order, click here. All proceeds: 100% donated to the Foundation Erwin Olaf
Edition Details
- Title: Homage Erwin Olaf ( Palm Springs )
- Artist: Ruben van Schalm
- Series: Don't Stop Dreaming
- Edition: 10 + 2 Artist's Proofs
- Size: 11x14 INCH
- Print: Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta 315 gsm
- Price: EUR500 (excluding shipping)
- Includes: Certificate of Authenticity, signed and numbered by the artist
- Shipping: Worldwide
- Framing: Available upon request
- Proceeds: 100% donated to the Foundation Erwin Olaf
About the Foundation Erwin Olaf
Established in 2024, the Foundation Erwin Olaf carries forward Olaf's legacy by supporting freedom of expression, cultural participation, and photography as a vehicle for change. The foundation funds socially engaged art projects, supports vocational art students (MBO), and promotes inclusive creative education.
Staff
- Petra Keijser - Director
- Piek Kock - Head of Education
- Meyke Werdmölder - Project Manager
Board
- Shirley den Hartog - Chair
- Feriet Tunc - Secretary
- Erwin Venema - Treasurer
