Based on an exhibition of the same title at the Whitney Museum of American Art this collection of more than 300 pictures documents the alternative culture of Nan Goldin's friends and acquaintances in the arty bohemian substrata of Manhattan. Goldin turns her camera outward to record transvestites carousing in downtown clubs and the social impact of AIDS and drugs; and inward to look with unblinking intimacy at her friends, her lovers of both sexes, and herself. She records her boyfriend masturbating. She shows him on the toilet. She shows her own battered face in a mirror after he beats her up. She traces the decline and death of her friend Cookie Mueller. Goldin has created a stark record of her urban demi-monde.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
art not of the void:
this is one of the most important books available in contemporary photography. i admire it for its bold reality, honesty and shockingly moving images. Anyone who takes documentary photo seriously should own this book. there is no pomp or frill here just the pain, disapointments and celebrations of life and death.
Nan Goldin, a retrospective of brilliance:
Goldin is the one of the most talented and prolific photographers of the 90's. Her work, which is based mainly on friends and lovers, is painful and delicate, striking a nerve in anyone who looks. It shows the beauty and horror of everyday life, sometimes bringing a tear to your eye. This book is worth every dollar.
