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Nan Goldin
Nan Goldin (b.1953) is most famous for her long-term photographic record of her immediate circle, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency. Her work often breaks social taboos with its explicit exploration of relationships, sexuality and eroticism. More recently, her images have shown the devastating effects AIDS has had on this community of friends.
- GenresPhotographyArtNonfiction
127 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
255 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 7, 2022
55 is een serie van kleine boekjes die telkemale een fotograaf uitlichten.
In het boekje Nan Goldin belicht Guido Costa de fotografiegeschiedenis van één van zijn vrienden.
Nan Goldin fotografeerde vooral in haar eigen vriendenkring. Maar de focus ligt meestal op relaties, sexualiteit en erotiek. Maar op andere momenten lag de nadruk meer op verslaving, zoals drank en drugsgebruik.
De start in het boekje wordt voorzien door een foto van Nan Goldin zelf, gevolgd door een zeer uitgebreide biografie. Aangezien Guido Costa een goeie vriend was van Nan leert hij ons op deze manier Nan kennen zoals hij haar persoonlijk zag.
Het boekje is opgemaakt in klein pocket formaat wat wel gemakkelijk is om het mee te nemen. Ondanks het kleine formaat zijn de opgenomen foto’s toch zeer duidelijk afgebeeld.
Uit de foto’s blijkt dat Nan graag speelt met licht en schaduw in haar beelden. Deze sluiten zeer duidelijk aan op de emotie die ze in haar foto’s wil steken.
Elke foto wordt voorzien van een korte tekst met aanvullende info over het hoe en waarom. Deze info trekt de foto’s naar een hoger niveau. Wat soms op het eerste zicht een gewone standaard foto is, wordt op deze manier voorzien van een extra laagje.
Zeer interessant voor de beginnende portretfotograaf om te bekijken hoe zijn eigen fotografie te verbeteren en mensen in beeld te brengen. Hoe een foto te nemen in huiselijke kring en toch emotie te onttrekken aan de kijker.
Conclusie
Een zeer leuk en interessant fotoboekje dat toont wat belichting kan doen bij portretfotografie. Een boekje dat ook de fotografe van dienst in het licht plaatst en haar geschiedenis vertelt.
Englisch
55 is a series of photographybooks that each time highlight a photographer.
In this book Nan Goldin, Guido Costa sheds light on the photography history of one of his friends.
Nan Goldin mainly photographed in her own circle of friends. But the focus is usually on relationships, sexuality and eroticism. But at other times, the emphasis was more on addiction, such as drinking and drug use.
The start in the book is provided by a photo of Nan Goldin herself, followed by a very extensive biography. Since Guido Costa was a good friend of Nan, He lets u know Nan as he saw her personally.
The book is made up in a small pocket size which is easy to take with you. Despite the small size, the recorded photos are very clearly displayed.
The photos show that Nan likes to play with light and shadow in her images. These are very much in line with the emotion she wants to put in her photos.
Each photo is provided with a short text with additional information about the how and why. This info takes the photos to a higher level. What at first sight is sometimes an ordinary standard photo, is provided with an extra layer in this way.
Very interesting for the novice portrait photographer to see how to improve his own photography and how to portray people. How to take a photo in a domestic environment and yet withdraw emotion from the viewer.
Conclusion
A very nice and interesting photo book that shows what lighting can do in portrait photography. A booklet that also places the photographer on duty in the light and tells her history.
In het boekje Nan Goldin belicht Guido Costa de fotografiegeschiedenis van één van zijn vrienden.
Nan Goldin fotografeerde vooral in haar eigen vriendenkring. Maar de focus ligt meestal op relaties, sexualiteit en erotiek. Maar op andere momenten lag de nadruk meer op verslaving, zoals drank en drugsgebruik.
De start in het boekje wordt voorzien door een foto van Nan Goldin zelf, gevolgd door een zeer uitgebreide biografie. Aangezien Guido Costa een goeie vriend was van Nan leert hij ons op deze manier Nan kennen zoals hij haar persoonlijk zag.
Het boekje is opgemaakt in klein pocket formaat wat wel gemakkelijk is om het mee te nemen. Ondanks het kleine formaat zijn de opgenomen foto’s toch zeer duidelijk afgebeeld.
Uit de foto’s blijkt dat Nan graag speelt met licht en schaduw in haar beelden. Deze sluiten zeer duidelijk aan op de emotie die ze in haar foto’s wil steken.
Elke foto wordt voorzien van een korte tekst met aanvullende info over het hoe en waarom. Deze info trekt de foto’s naar een hoger niveau. Wat soms op het eerste zicht een gewone standaard foto is, wordt op deze manier voorzien van een extra laagje.
Zeer interessant voor de beginnende portretfotograaf om te bekijken hoe zijn eigen fotografie te verbeteren en mensen in beeld te brengen. Hoe een foto te nemen in huiselijke kring en toch emotie te onttrekken aan de kijker.
Conclusie
Een zeer leuk en interessant fotoboekje dat toont wat belichting kan doen bij portretfotografie. Een boekje dat ook de fotografe van dienst in het licht plaatst en haar geschiedenis vertelt.
Englisch
55 is a series of photographybooks that each time highlight a photographer.
In this book Nan Goldin, Guido Costa sheds light on the photography history of one of his friends.
Nan Goldin mainly photographed in her own circle of friends. But the focus is usually on relationships, sexuality and eroticism. But at other times, the emphasis was more on addiction, such as drinking and drug use.
The start in the book is provided by a photo of Nan Goldin herself, followed by a very extensive biography. Since Guido Costa was a good friend of Nan, He lets u know Nan as he saw her personally.
The book is made up in a small pocket size which is easy to take with you. Despite the small size, the recorded photos are very clearly displayed.
The photos show that Nan likes to play with light and shadow in her images. These are very much in line with the emotion she wants to put in her photos.
Each photo is provided with a short text with additional information about the how and why. This info takes the photos to a higher level. What at first sight is sometimes an ordinary standard photo, is provided with an extra layer in this way.
Very interesting for the novice portrait photographer to see how to improve his own photography and how to portray people. How to take a photo in a domestic environment and yet withdraw emotion from the viewer.
Conclusion
A very nice and interesting photo book that shows what lighting can do in portrait photography. A booklet that also places the photographer on duty in the light and tells her history.
March 25, 2011
It's ok to judge a compilation of photography by it's cover. Goldin takes the kind of photos I wish I could take. They say anthropological objectivity is impossible because the observer necessarily influences the studied. Goldin's photography seems to bend that rule, if not all out break it. Love these photos.
March 12, 2017
Beautiful
June 3, 2021
There are 33 pages of Goldin’s work between 1990 and 2000. Her whole career before that gets only 22 pages, making the book feel lopsided.
I would’ve also loved to see some very early work at the start of the book... her first show was in 1972 and the first picture is from 1973.
The photography is of course wonderful, and the captions adds more context to them. It shows the broad span of Goldin’s work but I think it would make a strange introduction if this was the first book of Goldin’s photography you picked up.
I would’ve also loved to see some very early work at the start of the book... her first show was in 1972 and the first picture is from 1973.
The photography is of course wonderful, and the captions adds more context to them. It shows the broad span of Goldin’s work but I think it would make a strange introduction if this was the first book of Goldin’s photography you picked up.
November 2, 2025
Ever since I randomly stumbled into a Nan Goldin exhibition during a trip to Portugal I’ve felt a strange pull toward her work and herself as an artist.
“Greer and Robert on the bed”, “Nan and Brian in bed” and “Käthe in the tub” especially highlight the emotional intensity of her pieces within the private sphere.
Truly gorgeous work. This book offers up a lovely subsection of it.
“Greer and Robert on the bed”, “Nan and Brian in bed” and “Käthe in the tub” especially highlight the emotional intensity of her pieces within the private sphere.
Truly gorgeous work. This book offers up a lovely subsection of it.
January 2, 2022
beautiful. discovered more work by nan that i hadn’t seen before.
March 30, 2023
Nan excelente, pero la edición de este libro deja mucho que desear en cuanto a la lectura de las imágenes
October 29, 2023
Muy buen resumen, muy bien editado, muy bien condensada la historia de Goldin.
October 20, 2015
a great introduction to Goldin's work (which I know a bit) - one or two photographs for each year from 1973-2000, covering her 'Ballad of Sexual Dependency' years up to her 'grids' - Tokyo, Positive and Maternity. Her work is either strikingly focused and with saturated colour or more abstract and 'painterly'. I prefer the former, her work on drag queens, AIDS victims and intimate acquaintances, although posed, have 'in the room' quality, as do her still lifes (eg the breakfast tray on the hotel bed). This little book (pocket sized) follows her development with quite stunning little reproductions. I will see if I can borrow more in the series..
June 6, 2007
Schreibe gerade eine Arbeit über diese Fotos, sehr schön, wenn auch manchmal für meinen Geschmack etwas (ideenlos) sozio-dokumentarisch, aber das gleichen die wunderbaren Portraits wieder aus.
November 28, 2011
Series 55 is a pocket book sized collection of 55 representations of contemporary photographers' works published by Phaidon.
October 16, 2012
Though a very small format (pocket-sized), it's a decent introduction to Goldin's work.
July 17, 2013
Stunning little book of honest depictions of real people living real lives. Some are really heartbreaking while others are simply beautiful
December 5, 2025
S. 4.5
September 2, 2012
Nan Goldin's work is breathtaking and this book is a good introduction to it.
September 8, 2013
great overview of nan's work
April 11, 2017
This is the perfect, small-enough-to-fit-on-any-journey type book of beautiful and emotionally devastating images. If you want more photos that are not in "Ballad" and cannot afford her other works, this is what you're looking for, just so long as the minute size of it raises no problems.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews