Nan Goldin from’Ballad of Sexual Dependency’
On reading interviews with Nan Goldin, I identified interesting resonances with themes in my practice, research, experiences and methodology, whether intentional or not. Goldin captures images of the world around her, that she and others in habit. For me these are the themes of death, domestic abuse and violence, surviving, change and looking to personal creative practice as a way to manage, cope and simultaneously hide and expose oneself. Interviews and comments on those interviews reveal a mixed reception to the images that have populated Goldin’s developing portfolio. I am sure, however, that all can agree that Goldin’s work is highly autobiographical.
Her work depicts recurring themes or interests which make themselves known in time and through repetition, though not by initial intent. She hits on the honesty of her work, and rejects the idea, as suggested by others, that her initial work was a glamorisation of the drugs sub culture, as documented in ‘Ballad of Sexual Dependency’ that she was entrenched in. Or that the style of her work was the instigator of a fashion following, pointing towards the use of photography as a prevalent tool, particularly in contemporary social media.
When Goldin talks about her work, which came to be defined as ‘snap shot style’ she is noted as saying, “I didn’t care about ‘good’ photography I cared about complete honesty”. As such I accept that my work is not and may never be ‘perfect’, trail blazing or trend setting, but my intention is that it is honest. With that aim it pushes me, the artist, practitioner, storyteller, to be honest with myself first and foremost and so engage with my audience with integrity. Her work and subject matter impress me as raw, un staged, unapologetic and unashamed. Should that we all strive to present ourselves in this way at the risk of judgement and dismissal.
Goldin’s use of multimedia techniques; images, slide show and soundtrack, affirms my use of multi media. Photography is, at this time, a means for me to document information; sometimes what I see and what interests me, at other times what I need to remember for future reference. This form of visual environmental capturing may develop into a relevant avenue of archived work and documentation of my influences. To such an end Goldin and her work have inspired me not to dismiss even the smallest aspect of my research, accumulation of information and my creative output.
Related Links:
Interview Sean O’Hagan, The Observer, Sunday 23rd March 2014 http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/mar/23/nan-goldin-photographer-wanted-get-high-early-age
‘Ballad of Sexual Dependency’ courtesy of Have a nice book: http://vimeo.com/82283265
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/nan-goldin-2649
Nan Goldin is represented in a limited number of Galleries, http://www.matthewmarks.com/new-york/artists/nan-goldin/
Glenn O’Brien interview Harpers Bazaar http://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/nan-goldin-in-the-frame-1111
Related Artists:
William S Boroughs, story teller, novelist, painter, spoken word performer etc. Linked with Goldin in interview re Artist and heroin addiction http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_S._Burroughs
Diane Arbus, Goldin’s work was likened to that of Arbus’, although Goldin refutes this association due to the differing approach to their work. To elaborate, Arbus was regarded as photographing people who were seen as oddities and / or ‘freaks’ in an objective fashion. In some ways we, the audience, has come to the show and Arbus’ lens is the proscenium arch. Goldin and her subject matter, on the other hand, are intertwined. We are invited to witness a private, intimate world. Goldin’s lens is the window or the peep hole. Regardless in the spirit of compare and contrast I attach a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Arbus
Rebecca NK Gibbs 