The Ballad of Sexual Dependency

Nan&Brian (who she loved very dearly) in bed

Nan, after Brian beat her up

  Nan Goldin is best known for the huge success of the 'Ballad of Sexual Dependency' - a photographic account of her friends, lovers and real life while living in New York, presented in a slide show fashion, and accompanied by music.  

I'm trying desperately to reframe from beginning a paragraph with the words "I love Nan Goldin"... but I'm finding it extremely difficult, so, to hell with it...

I love Nan Goldin! I love how her work is so raw and non-staged. I love how she has photographed the bad times aswell as the good, and how bare and honest her photographs are. Every single photograph screams emotion, and that just makes me so passionate about this art, she makes me passionate about this art. 

I think it is really brave and clever to include your friends and/or lovers in your photographic work because it adds that extra spark when you know that these photographs are real life, its like a secret open window into a complete stranger's life, which now I read that sentence back over, sounds like some sort of definition for "paparazzi", 

"They don't understand that it's not about a style or a look or a setup. It's about emotional obsession and empathy."

Nan Goldin

but Goldin's work is so much more extreme and interesting (obviously) than some snap-happy pap, even if her work has been described as "snap-shot",  the underground film and story telling nature of her shots make them one of a kinds, and so addictive. Her subjects are only 'famous' to her, not the rest of the world. They arent super models or actresses, they are just the people who make up her life, who now also make up some of the most influencial photographs of time.

Since the Ballad of Sexual Dependancy, Goldin continues to document her life through photograph, with the help of friends and lovers, but there is a change of tone in her work, since she moved to Europe and lost many of her dear friends to AIDs.

"Kathe in the tub"

"I used to think I couldn't lose anyone if I photographed them enough. I used photography to stave off loss. But with the recent deaths of many of my friends I realized the limits of what can be preserved."

Nan Goldin

This is my favourite photograph of Nan Goldin's. It looks like a typical sunny day at the beach, and reminds me of home. I love the way she is shielding her eyes from the bright sky and the fact she has sunglasses on. I also love the use of primary colours in this photograph; the red of her trousers, the green of her cardigan/jacket and the yellowness of the mickey mouse (cute!) magazine.