66 29 February 2020I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113
Legends
of photography
I
tseemslikethe
obviousplaceto
begin,asit sooften
is withcontroversial
photographers,butNanGoldin
is a photographerwhocan
inspirestrictdichotomiesof
response.Ontheonehand,
someembraceGoldin’snaked
displaysofdiaristicauto-
journalismandrecognisethe
heartfeltpleastorecognise
notjustthevisibilityofher
subjects,butalsotheirviability
asmembersofsociety.Then
thereis theotherhand,fist
clenchedandwhite-knuckled,
thatdecriestheamateurform,
dismissingit assuperficial
snapshotfodder,a collection
of images that should be left to
Nan
Goldin
gatherdustina shoeboxbeneath
anunmadebedwrappedin
nicotine-stainedsheets.
Whilethemethodofthese
imagescanalienateswathesof
theaudience,it’sfairtosaythat
therearemanystillwhotake
moralumbragewiththe
subjectstheydepict.Goldin’s
workis a rawexplorationof
genderfluidity,transgender
issues,druguse,sexualityand
AIDs.That’snottomention
herconfrontationoftheharder
sideofhumanrelationships,
suchasheartbreakandabuse.
Butperhapsherewe’ve
immediatelyfallenintoa trap
whendiscussingGoldin’swork.
Theseaforementionedissues
are certainly present and big
withthepublicationofThe
BalladofSexualDependencyin
1986.Theimages’depictionof
hard-druguseandsex,all
presentedinanunpolished
aesthetic,is stillfairly
unequalled.Again,it washer
wayofhighlightingand
preservinga groupoffriends
sheloveddearly.Bythe1990s,a
majorityofthepeoplefeatured
withinthepageshaddied.
There’sanideathatpeople
writediarieswiththe
expectationthatonedaythey
willberead.Goldin’s
publications,suchasThe
BalladofSexualDependency
andTheOtherSide, function
muchwiththisideainmind.
Byopeningupherlifetothe
public,Goldinnotonlyreveals
herselftotheworld,butalso
doesmuchtoensurethatthe
peoplesheencountersare
madevisible,areunderstood
and,intheend, know they
were loved.
Goldin’sworkisatestamenttothe
heartbreakingpower of photography,
saysOliver Atwell
themesinthephotographer’s
images,butwhatunderlies
eachexhibition,bookand
photographis a concernwith
thevitalityandwonderof
humanconnection.Ultimately,
Goldin’sworkis aboutthe
unityandpoweroflove.
WhenGoldinwasjust 11 years
old,hersister,Barbara,tookher
ownlife.Atsucha youngage,it
wasa definingmomentin
Goldin’slife.Sheknewthather
sister’srepressionofher
sexualityhadplayeda large
partinhersuicide,soattheage
of 15 Goldinbegantoshoot
imagesinorderto
commemorateherrelationships
andusetheimagestohighlight
issuesthatmayotherwise
remainunseen.Shefellinwith
thedragqueensceneand
begana stringentprocessof
documentationthatcarried
throughtotherestofhercareer.
Photographinggroupssuchas
dragqueenswasn’tnecessarily
new,butGoldin’simages
eschewedthestandard
anthropologicalprocessof
analysisandinsteadshowedher
friendsasshesawthem:utterly
human,allofthemfullof
dreams,sorrowsandlife.
Goldin’sbigimpactonthe
world of photography came
© NAN GOLDIN
© FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP VIA GETT Y IMAGES
Picniconthe
Esplanade,
Boston, 1973
Anexpandedandupdated
versionof NanGoldin’s
seminalbookTheOther
Side, publishedbySteidl
andincludinga revised
introductionfromGoldin,
is available to buy now.
