Nan Goldin (Monographs) [Hardcover]

Guido Costa (Author)

Book Description

Series: Monographs | Publication Date: January 10, 2006

Nan Goldin is internationally recognized as one of today's leading photographers. Her photographs have been exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide, including SFMOMA, California, the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Centre Pompidou, Paris and the Museu Reina Sofia, Madrid. Born in Washington DC, Goldin grew up in Boston where she began taking photographs at the age of fifteen. She has since lived in New York, Bangkok, Berlin, Tokyo and Paris, amassing an extensive body of work that represents a fascinating photographic portrait of our time. Since the 1980s Goldin has consistently created images that are intimate and compelling; they tell personal stories of relationships, friendships and identity, but simultaneously chronicle different eras and the passage of time. Her 'snapshot'-esque images of her friends - drag queens, drug addicts, lovers and family - are intense, searing portraits that, together, make a document of her life. Goldin herself has commented on her photographic style and philosophy, saying, 'My work originally came from the snapshot aesthetic ...Snapshots are taken out of love and to remember people, places, and shared times. They're about creating a history by recording a history.' Her work often breaks social taboos with its explicit exploration of relationships, sexuality and eroticism, and has also shown the devastating effect AIDS has had on her community of friends. Through its sequence of 55 images, Nan Goldin presents an overview of the photographer's entire career, and illustrates the development of the intimate and raw style for which Goldin has become internationally renowned.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Guido Costa curates exhibitions worldwide and his writing on art and photography has been widely published. He has worked closely with Goldin for many years and collaborated with her on the book Ten Years After (1996), among others. Author's residence: Milan

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (January 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714845531
• ISBN-13: 978-0714845531
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,820,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Small Book Big Impact, April 15, 2011

By 

Donna Johnson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nan Goldin (55) (Paperback)

Nan Goldin's 55 is more than a collection of "out of the ordinary" photographs; it is a documentation of real life. As a photographer, Nan set out to understand personal relationships and resolve her personal history. These photographs display different aspects of life, like Nan's relationships with social outcasts that we commonly overlook. She gets very personal with her subjects in most of the photographs, almost invading their privacy.
The book begins with an essay introducing Nan Goldin and her theoretical approach, and then goes on to explain how Nan came to know photography. Also explained are the tragic and life changing experiences that influenced and pushed her to challenge documentary photography. Nan opened a door that changed how we see the world by showing us things that weren't normally seen in photographs. Previous photographers such as Larry Clark had suggested the possibility with his very intimate Tulsa collection. Nan wanted to understand people, relationships and where she stood in the world and this book is a small glimpse into her search for purpose.
55 is a combined version of several different exhibitions and projects that Nan has done over the years. Although the book is small in size, the intensity of the images hasn't changed. Every photo is illuminated in color and accompanied by a caption that explains the individual photograph, as well as added details of the subject. This book is perfectly capable of standing alone in defining Nan Goldin's work and is also a short, beautifully written biography.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great collection!, December 16, 2006

By 

Dynamite (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nan Goldin (Monographs) (Hardcover)

I searched long and hard for an affordable and great collection of Nan Goldin's work and this is the winner. The pictures are crisp and the color is good. Although, some of her famous photographs were missing, and some of my favorites as well, I recommend this book. Great deal!!

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars long live the queen!, April 2, 2000

By 

fernando sosa (campeche, mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nan Goldin (Stern Portfolio Library of Photography) (Paperback)

nan goldin is, no room for a doubt, the greatest photographer of our decade. no one like her can capture the way modern life can be odd and beautiful at the same time. this book contains some of her brilliant artwork, the quality of the photos is really great, and besides, its less expensive than most of her books, and as good as most of them. its great to find another excellent book of her. you wont be dissapointed, believe me! you have to see it for yourself!