The Devil's Playground

by Nick Cave, Guido Costa, Nan Goldin

Now available in paperback, this critically acclaimed book is the most significant and comprehensive publication of Nan Goldin's photography. Internationally recognized for her intimate and compelling images, Goldin has lived and worked in Boston, New York, Berlin and in Paris, her current home, creating images of herself, her surroundings, her lovers, friends and family. Taking the form of a diary, the photographs are sequenced alongside texts chosen by Goldin, which include short stories, poems and song lyrics by leading curators, poets and writers. This results in a work that is intensely personal, with exquisitely beautiful photographs that are at times moving and enthralling, provocative and disquieting, sensual and uplifting. This book includes some of Goldin's most recent work, with many photographs published here for the first time. At this new reasonable price, it is sure to attract many more viewers to Goldin's impressive body of work.

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction, Love, Art and Photography

504 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2003

About the author

Nicholas Edward Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional actor. He is best known for his work in the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and his fascination with American music and its roots. He has a reputation, which he disowns, for singing dark, brooding songs which some listeners regard as depressing. His music is characterised by intensity, high energy and a wide variety of influences. He currently lives in Brighton & Hove in England.

Cave released his first book King Ink, in 1988. It is a collection of lyrics and plays, including collaborations with American enfant terrible Lydia Lunch.

While he was based in West Berlin, Cave started working on what was to become his debut novel, And the Ass Saw the Angel (1989). Significant crossover is evident between the themes in the book and the lyrics Cave wrote in the late stages of the Birthday Party and the early stage of his solo career. "Swampland", from Mutiny, in particular, uses the same linguistic stylings ('mah' for 'my', for instance) and some of the same themes (the narrator being haunted by the memory of a girl called Lucy, being hunted like an animal, approaching death and execution). A collectors' limited edition of the book appeared in 2007.

Cave wrote the foreword to a Canongate publication of the Gospel according to Mark, published in the UK in 1998. The American publication of the same book contains a foreword by a different author.

Reviews

[Jeff Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novelistic in its structure and ambitions. Would be more powerful at half the length, though.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content is 5 stars but the layout knocks a star off. Printing numerous full page color photographs across the gutter really distracts.

[Aurora Domeniconi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Il sublime nel taglio fotografico di Goldin sulla quotidianità. Una immersione totale non sono CON ma anche DENTRO ai suoi soggetti.

Invidiabile, mirabile. Sembra di cambiare vita in ogni pagina.

[Teresa Coutinho · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite photographer ever

[Nyx · Rating 4 out of 5]

definición de voyeurismo lol

[Odette · Rating 4 out of 5]

ja, heel mooi en ook met Nick Cave is extra leuk

[Christopher Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I feel like this is sort-of cheating because this is actually a book of photography, but it's my FAVORITE book of photography, so... who cares. Nan Goldin's relationships with her subjects is amazing. These are such intimate, gorgeous photographs; they speak of so much trust between the two sides of the camera. Don't be scared by the price tag; this book is so very worth it.

[Mary]

This book was given to me by Beulah and Justin.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

dirty and gorgeous photographs

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best READ on an actual playground...

[Tiffani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nan Goldin is one of my favorite artist and this is a great collection of her work.