Erwin Olaf - Awesome or no?

I recently had to find a photography book in my school's library. Because my school has a small love of the arts, this section was about as wide as a 100 lb person. AKA, not large at all. I stumbled upon a slim book of Erwin Olaf, a photographer I had never heard of. I was immediately intrigued by the intricateness of his photographs. Each one had been taken with care. The book had photographs from 3 of hi series: Grief, Hope, and Rain.
The models have this blank look in their eyes, but seem to tell a story. There are small details in each photograph, a wrinkled handkerchief, red wet eyes, the way the hands and body are placed. They are almost erotic, almost uncomfortable to look at. The use of lighting, contrast, and color fulfill the intensity of each picture in the book. Although each photograph looks simple the first time you see it, the more you look, the more you find. Each one made me ask questions, and I LOVE that. I wish I could talk to him, and find out about where he gets these ideas, what makes his mind go. To see the images better, click on the pictures below. It will open up a new page with a larger pic.
I had two favorites, the first is from his grief series, called grief:

 

The second is from the Hope series, called Hope 5, 2005, i think?

Lovin Life

-Ziggy