Nan Goldin

MOMA’s exhibit of Nan Goldin’s Ballad of Sexual Dependancy is very interesting to say the least. When you first walk in there is a display of a number of her works and a short description of the exhibit. The exhibit itself is mainly comprised of a video slide show of Goldin’s photographs.

Her photographs show a variety of what I would consider sub-topics under what she conveniently calls sexual dependency. The sub-topics include, sexuality (both male, female as well as the two together), family, drugs, and other depictions of the artists herself.

Most of her work seemed to be simple snapshots of people in their private lives. Simply put, all I saw was average people doing average things. In some photos the artist’s presence is obvious while in other her presence is less so. The candid photos, to me, were more powerful in showing the subject(s) in their element. Usually in their home, bathroom or other private living space. Other times Goldin would show people in adult entertainment workplaces such as bars or strip clubs.

Overall I would say that the umbrella topic of sexual dependency was very suitable. We as a people rely heavily on sex, drugs, family and any combination of the aforementioned. Nan Goldin’s work shows us the raw dirty, sexy reality of life in the city. People have sex and do drugs, love and leave their families both willingly and without the choice in the matter.

Some photos show the all-too-real emotions felt by her subjects who deal with these realities. Understanding that these emotions are real and stem from real situations that can happen to any one of us is really what I think Nan Goldin was attempting to show with her work.

Nan Goldin’s work is simple in its composition and quality but her works’ content is the true art here. I enjoyed seeing and feeling her photos for myself and I would recommend it to my friends to view as well.

Nan Goldin Paper

‘Ballad of sexual Dependency’_Sowon Jung

As a student who currently studies digital photography, Nan Goldin’s exhibition was a good opportunity to look at what the contemporary photography is and how the photographer took a self-portrait photography with various techniques. When I first stepped into the exhibition was kind of odd and much different what I expected. Because, for me it is difficult to fully understand contemporary art which is totally different from fine art.  However, I kept observing her works over and over and then, finally I was able to understand that sexual photography could be the art.

Among her various works, there were some photographs that caught my eyes. One was a Nan is hugging the guy, probably Brian who is her boyfriend. By looking at this photography, I felt somehow loneliness even though she is hugging the guy. Because, the mood of photography seems so cold and blue with the dark background. I was also wondering how she took a self-portrait within this kind of feeling. Because, I personally think photography is all about capturing one specific time with emotions at the moments. Therefore, I assume that she is very creative photographer who tried various techniques that no one would do before. Moreover, she redefines what the photography could do and what it could be as a mirror of oneself.

Another photograph I was interested in among her works was ‘Nan one month After being battered’. When I first saw this work, I was embarrassed because, I was wondering why she was battered, who did it to her, and why she wanted to take her self-portrait at this moment. As I mentioned before, contemporary art is sort of difficult to understand as art work. Therefore, I assume some viewers might feel upset and uncomfortable as same as I felt. It could depict her as the victim of domestic violence, and it does not seem attractive at all. However, In other words, this photograph is necessary to be seen because, it also captures how the domestic violence are dangerous which reflects prominent problem at this time. By that means, it also explains that we are all witness to its effects.

Not only the photographs, her photo slide show which was playing in the small dark room was also very impressive to me. From the show I felt as if the whole pictures show a person’s life time from birth to death. In the beginning of the show, the works were totally different from what I have seen outside. She captured peaceful and beautiful moment such as the view of village, pretty children, and nude body of pregnant women which could be beautiful as it is. However, as time goes by, the slide show became stark and dark by showing sexual gay, lesbian, heroin addicted people etc. Most photographs were shock to me, because I thought that taking these kind of pictures at this time could be sensation. Most photographer would like to take beautiful pictures but Nan was different. Despite of its uncomfortable affect, I could realize how people are nature without pretense and how Nan tried to tell the true story without any secret through her pictures.

Hamanot_NanGoldin

Nan Goldin’s The Ballad of Sexual Dependency exhibition is a personal narrative of her life, in pictures, which she shares with us. All the events are happening around Boston, New York, London, Chicago, Berlin and more in the late 1970’s and 1980’s. Her subjects and herself are captured in intimate moments of love, lost and abuse. According to her “The diary is my form of control over my life. It allows me to obsessively record every detail. It enables me to remember.” In addition, she received Edward MacDowell Medal for an outstanding contribution to American culture and the arts.

The first part of the exhibition starts with the row of pictures that aren’t lined up, but placed in an organized chaos. It gives you an idea that the pictures will portray a struggle for intimacy and understanding between friends, family, and lovers. Right next to it is a glass display of her personal photos, from her picture and brief biography, her parents, friends and intimate pictures of her lovers. Not only the pictures show you the way American culture was during the 70’s and 80’s, but you get to know the artist on a personal level. She showed the sides of her life that weren’t all “rainbows and butterflies,” she shared her deepest, darkest secrets, such as abuse in a relationship.

The second part of the exhibition was a slide show of people that Nan was close with, that was accompanied by different sound traces. Her subjects were captured in their natural state, such as smoking, half dressed, using drugs or in intimate positions. The sound matched the pictures which made it more real, more raw. You could either feel the intensity of the moment  or try and see why that, particular, sound was chosen. In some way the background music made the pictures look more alive.