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Nan Goldin Photography

American, b. 1953

When Nan Goldin discovered a flourishing drag queen community as an 18-year-old navigating downtown Boston, it would mark the start of her widely influential photography career and lay the foundation of the seminal work that would follow years later — “The Ballad of Sexual Dependency,” an ongoing series of stark, flash-lit snapshots documenting her experiences with the LGBTQ+ scene, most notably during the AIDS epidemic.

Goldin was born in Washington, D.C., but raised in Massachusetts. She left home around age 13 or 14, moved into a commune and attended a free experimental high school called Satya Community School, where she began shooting Polaroids of herself as well as her classmates. She found inspiration in the work of Andy Warhol, Larry Clark, Diane Arbus, Weegee, August Sander and in the glossy pages of French and Italian Vogue. Goldin attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and moved to New York City soon after she graduated.

Goldin was particularly drawn to the avant-garde music scene in Manhattan in the late 1970s and early ’80s, and “The Ballad of Sexual Dependency” would include many photos taken in her newly adopted city. Goldin first exhibited the series at the Whitney Biennial in 1985 before publishing it as a book a year later. In its startling honesty, Goldin’s gripping portraits captured sexual relationships, frank drug use, intimate scenes in the homes of families, partying at bars, domestic violence and the AIDS-related horrors faced by those in the era’s LGBTQ+ community. More than 700 images were featured in exhibitions over the years compared to the book’s 127 portraits.

“‘The Ballad of Sexual Dependency’ is the diary I let people read,” wrote Goldin. “The diary is my form of control over my life. It allows me to obsessively record every detail. It enables me to remember.”

Goldin also felt that the project was autobiographical in a way, though only some of the images were self-portraits. “These were the people I lived with, these were my friends, these were my family, this was myself. I’d photograph people dancing while I was dancing. Or people having sex while I was having sex. Or people drinking while I was drinking. There was no separation between me and what I was photographing,” she told Bomb magazine.

Over the years, Goldin has collaborated with Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki and completed projects for Jimmy Choo and Bottega Veneta. While her work has broadened to include New York City skylines, portraiture and commercial fashion photography, her commitment to documentary-style honesty has never wavered. In 2006, as part of Goldin’s "Chasing a Ghost” exhibit in New York City, a presentation was projected on three screens involving videos, photography and a musical collage focused on her older sister, Barbara, who took her own life in 1965.

Among Goldin’s many accolades are her admission to the French Legion of Honor in 2006, the Hasselblad Foundation International Award in 2007 and the Lucie Award in 2014.

Find a collection of original Nan Goldin photography on 1stDibs.

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Artist: Nan Goldin
"Suzanne in the Shower, Palenque, Mexico" Nan Goldin, Female Nude, Snapshot
"Suzanne in the Shower, Palenque, Mexico" Nan Goldin, Female Nude, Snapshot

"Suzanne in the Shower, Palenque, Mexico" Nan Goldin, Female Nude, Snapshot

By Nan Goldin

Located in New York, NY

Nan Goldin Suzanne in the Shower, Palenque, Mexico, 1981 Signed and titled on reverse Cibachrome print 13 3/4 x 9 inches Edition 2/25 Provenance The artist Matthew Marks Gallery, Ne...

Category

1980s American Modern Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

C Print

Bea with a whip at The Other Side

Bea with a whip at The Other Side

By Nan Goldin

Located in New York, NY

Nan Goldin Bea with a whip at The Other Side 1973 Gelatin silver print 14 x 11 inches; 36 x 28 cm Edition of 100 Signed, titled, dated, and numbered in graphite (lower right verso) ...

Category

1970s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Swan-Like Embrace (Paris) by Nan Goldin
Swan-Like Embrace (Paris) by Nan Goldin

Swan-Like Embrace (Paris) by Nan Goldin

By Nan Goldin

Located in Dubai, Dubai

By Nan Goldin Swan-Like Embrace, Paris (2001), printed later, 2021 C-Print on paper 8 x 5 1/8 inches Signed verso (please see image 3) From the 2021 timed release, published by Pain.

Category

2010s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

C Print

My hotel room, Valencia, Spain
My hotel room, Valencia, Spain

My hotel room, Valencia, Spain

By Nan Goldin

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Nan Goldin (b. 1953) is unquestionably one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. A successor to Diane Arbus and William Egglestone, her aesthetic and creative ap...

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1980s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Pink sky from airplane
Pink sky from airplane

Pink sky from airplane

By Nan Goldin

Located in New York, NY

Nan Goldin Pink sky from airplane 2000 Cibachrome 30 x 40 inches; 76 x 102 cm Edition of 15 Signed, titled, dated, and numbered in ink (verso) Available f...

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Early 2000s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

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Triptyk, Zingaro Equestrian Theater, Paris, 2004
Triptyk, Zingaro Equestrian Theater, Paris, 2004

Triptyk, Zingaro Equestrian Theater, Paris, 2004

By Nan Goldin

Located in Dubai, Dubai

Triptyk, Zingaro Equestrian Theater, Paris, 2004 By Nan Goldin 2025 Photographic c-print on archival paper 32 x 22 cm 12 5/8 x 8 5/8 in Edition limited by time signed by artist ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

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Supreme Nan Goldin skateboard deck
Supreme Nan Goldin skateboard deck

Supreme Nan Goldin skateboard deck

By Nan Goldin

Located in NEW YORK, NY

Nan Goldin Supreme Skateboard Deck: 'Misty and Jimmy Paulette in a Taxi, NYC' (1991/2018): Published in 2018 by Supreme New York Features Nan Goldin printed...

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21st Century and Contemporary Feminist Nan Goldin Photography

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Joey Dressed for Wigstock, NYC
Joey Dressed for Wigstock, NYC

Joey Dressed for Wigstock, NYC

By Nan Goldin

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Nan Goldin (b. 1953) is unquestionably one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. Her intimate images emphasize her subject’s individuality, infusing them with d...

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1990s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

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C Print

Supreme Nan Goldin skateboard deck (Nan as a Dominatrix)
Supreme Nan Goldin skateboard deck (Nan as a Dominatrix)

Supreme Nan Goldin skateboard deck (Nan as a Dominatrix)

By Nan Goldin

Located in NEW YORK, NY

Nan Goldin Supreme Skateboard Deck: 'Nan as a Dominatrix, Cambridge MA' (1978/2018): Published in 2018 by Supreme New York Features Nan Goldin printed signature on verso From a sold...

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21st Century and Contemporary Feminist Nan Goldin Photography

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Apocalyptic Sky over Manhattan, NYC
Apocalyptic Sky over Manhattan, NYC

Apocalyptic Sky over Manhattan, NYC

By Nan Goldin

Located in New York, NY

Nan Goldin Apocalyptic Sky over Manhattan, NYC, 2001 Cibachrome 27 1/4 x 40 inches (image) 28 1/4 x 41 inches (frame) AP 1, Edition of 15 Signed verso on label Black painted wood fr...

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Early 2000s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Color

Butch in the Tub, NYC
Butch in the Tub, NYC

Butch in the Tub, NYC

By Nan Goldin

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Nan Goldin (b. 1953) is unquestionably one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. Goldin was the first to use the "slide show" format in a high-art setting. Beginning in the 1970's Goldin took candid shots of her lovers, friends and family characters often living on the margins of society in Boston and then New York City. "Butch in the Tub...

Category

1980s Conceptual Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

C Print

Self-portrait in blue dress, New York City, 1985

Self-portrait in blue dress, New York City, 1985

By Nan Goldin

Located in New York, NY

1985/2020 Signed, verso Archival pigment print 5 x 7 inches This photograph by Nan Goldin is offered by CLAMP in New York City.

Category

1980s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

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H 15.75 in W 23.5 in

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Nan Goldin photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Nan Goldin photography available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of photography to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of pink, yellow and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Nan Goldin in c print, pigment print, archival pigment print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Nan Goldin photography, so small editions measuring 6 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Robert Stivers, Silvia Lareo-Vazquez, and Jack Pierson. Nan Goldin photography prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $375 and tops out at $26,000, while the average work can sell for $12,900.
Questions About Nan Goldin Photography
  • 1stDibs ExpertJanuary 10, 2025
    Nan Goldin is famous for her work as a photographer. She was particularly drawn to the avant-garde music scene in Manhattan in the late 1970s and early ’80s, and “The Ballad of Sexual Dependency” series would include many photos taken in her newly adopted city. Goldin first exhibited the series at the Whitney Biennial in 1985 before publishing it as a book a year later. In its startling honesty, Goldin’s gripping portraits captured sexual relationships, drug use, intimate scenes in the homes of families, partying at bars, domestic violence and the AIDS-related horrors faced by those in the era’s LGBTQ+ community. Over the years, Goldin has collaborated with Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki and completed projects for Jimmy Choo and Bottega Veneta. While her work has broadened to include New York City skylines, portraiture and commercial fashion photography, her commitment to documentary-style honesty has never wavered. In 2006, as part of Goldin’s "Chasing a Ghost” exhibition in New York City, a presentation was projected on three screens involving videos, photography and a musical collage focused on her older sister, Barbara, who took her own life in 1965. Among Goldin’s many accolades are her admission to the French Legion of Honor in 2006, the Hasselblad Foundation International Award in 2007 and the Lucie Award in 2014. Shop a range of Nan Goldin art on 1stDibs.