When the work of Nan Goldin is mentioned, my mind goes to my favorite photograph of hers. Titled “The Hug,” the photo is, as said, of an intimate hug captured by Goldin. It’s simple yet sticks in my head like a memory that I myself experienced—I describe this feeling as a ‘tug’ in my gut, pulling at an emotion like that of nostalgia, but melancholic as well. This was the first photo I saw from Goldin, and if there was a baseline to how her work has affected the art world, it would be compared to a ‘tug’ as well. 

Born in Washington, D.C., Nan began photographing in her mid-teens and later went to study art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Her photos are documentary-centered and focus on Goldin and her life. She moved to New York shortly after school and became involved in the city’s arts scene. Many of her friends are artists as well, such as Peter Hujar, Cookie Mueller, David Wojnarowicz and many more. This queer scene that Goldin documented helped develop Goldin’s most beloved work. 

The Ballad of Sexual Dependency is one of, if not the most important photo series that documents the queer scene amidst the start of the AIDS pandemic in the 80s. Goldin’s lens captures herself, friends, and lovers, living their lives in the most authentic way possible—and to most people, it was revolutionary. A sense of admiration and love seeps through every frame, and I can’t help but feel that tug mentioned earlier in every scene. Whether it’s a photo of Trixie on the cot or Ryan in the tub, Goldin’s courageously empathetic and delicate lens became one of a few voices for queer people at the time, a voice rooted in love and admiration for friends and community. It’s a devastatingly beautiful series that provides context for much of Goldin’s current advocacy. 

Goldin is more than just an artist—she’s a political advocate and activist who, time and time again, utilizes her voice to fight back against social injustice. Most recently, Goldin has worked with her team, P.A.I.N., to dismantle the powerful Sackler family and their contribution to OxyContin and the opioid crisis. As the Sackler family has had a hold on the art world, with their names in several museums and galleries, Goldin and her team did various performance pieces to protest against them. This was with the intention of sending a message to these institutions to take the Sackler family name down. Through this battle, the Sackler family’s name was removed from various galleries such as the Louvre. Along with this, P.A.I.N. has provided various educational resources to provide information about and destigmatize the opioid epidemic. This entire process was documented by Laura Poitras and her team in the movie “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” a documentary about Nan and her life. 

With all this in mind, Goldin and her artistry go so far beyond what this article can summarize. She’s fuel amidst the fire of the machine and has asserted herself gracefully in Queer Art History as one of the most prolific and influential photographers and artists. I personally am grateful to exist in a time where art has been utilized to combat systemic injustices, and Nan’s work is a primary example of art being revolutionary.

Further Viewing:

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed: https://soundwalkcollective.com/project/all-the-beauty-and-the-bloodshed.

The Ballad of Sexual Dependency: https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/1651

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B6nMlajUqU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_A2QfPBG9Q