Skip to main content

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.

to
5
2
2
3
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
7
6
2
3
2
9
7
5
7
5
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
6
2
2
2
1
14
8,208
2,801
1,315
1,188
7
1
6
2
Artist: Nan Goldin
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...
Category

1980s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

C Print

Swan-Like Embrace (Paris) by Nan Goldin
By Nan Goldin
Located in London, GB
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

Swan Like Embrace, Paris
By Nan Goldin
Located in London, GB
Swan-Like Embrace, Paris 2001, printed later, 2021 C-Print on paper 8 x 5 1/8 inches Signed on the back published by Pain Nan Goldin's "Swan-like Embrace, Paris, 2001" is a poignant...
Category

2010s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

C Print

Joey with Her New Breasts (NYC)
By Nan Goldin
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Nan Goldin (b. 1953) is one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. Beginning in the 1970's Goldin took candid shots of her lovers and friends - especially drag queens and trans women, characters often living on the margins of society, in New York City and beyond. "Cody in the Dressing Room at the Boy Bar, NYC” is a paradigm of Goldin's work from the early 1990’s celebrating both nightlife and its beautiful denizens. The photograph shows Cody, semi-nude and confidently posing for Goldin, as they either unwind after or are preparing for a performance. Situated in a dressing room signalled by the mirror, makeup and clothes strewn around. Behind Cody is a silver grid of black and white portraits taped to the wall, reminiscent of Warhol’s famous screen tests, and a reminder of Goldin's exceptional composition. Furthermore, the image is cropped right above the subject's waist leaving their actual gender ambiguous if not irrelevant. Today, images of drag queens and glamorous trans woman are increasingly common in Western culture, considering the success of TV shows such as Rupaul's Drag Race...
Category

1990s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Dye Transfer

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...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Feminist Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Wood, Offset

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

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...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, C Print

On the Beach, Boston
By Nan Goldin
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Nan Goldin (b. 1953) is one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. Beginning in the 1970s, Goldin took candid shots of her friends and lovers, characters often li...
Category

1970s Post-Modern Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

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...
Category

1990s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

C Print

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...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Feminist Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Wood, Offset

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...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Color

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
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

Related Items
"Two Palms" Black & White Photography 36" x 24" in Edition 1/15 by Larsen Sotelo
By Larsen Sotelo
Located in Culver City, CA
"Two Palms" Black & White Photography 36" x 24" in Edition 1/15 by Larsen Sotelo Not framed. Ships in a tube Giclee (Archival Ink) print on 310G Platine Fibre Cotton Rag w/satin fin...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Rag Paper, Giclée

Californian Coast, Pacific Ocean photography unframed No. 2
By MAE Curates
Located in Los Angeles, CA
We present another series of new work highlighting the raw, natural beauty of Californian landscapes and nature, from various California based photographers. May be paired with oth...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

C Print

30x30" Contemporary Nude Photography - Nude n.1, Woman, Body Fine Art Photograph
By MAE Curates
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This is a series of black and white Nude art photography (13 in series). We present this series of the human form - that which has inspired artists from time immemorial. This series ...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

"It Never Rains in LA" Nude Photography 36" x 24" in Ed. 1/15 by Larsen Sotelo
By Larsen Sotelo
Located in Culver City, CA
"It Never Rains in LA" Nude Photography 36" x 24" in Ed. 1/15 by Larsen Sotelo Not framed. Ships in a tube Giclee (Archival Ink) print on 310G Platine Fibre Cotton Rag w/satin finis...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Rag Paper, Giclée

Water Horn, by Mark Jenkins
By Mark Jenkins
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Traditional photographic techniques mixed with digital manipulation work to create slightly surreal homoerotic imagery for the prints in Jenkins' Liquid series. Signed, titled and nu...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Digital

Water Horn, by Mark Jenkins
Water Horn, by Mark Jenkins
$400 Sale Price
20% Off
H 20.75 in W 16 in
Falcon by Rosie Emerson, Hand-embellished screen print of glamor female figure
By Rosie Emerson
Located in Dallas, TX
Very last of the "Falcon" edition available! Emerson has pioneered a technique of printing with delicate charcoal powders, which give the image a softne...
Category

2010s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Rag Paper, Charcoal, Screen

Kate Moss 1993, Paradise Island Bahamas, Original Print Custom Framed
By Herb Ritts
Located in London, GB
For the 1994 Pirelli Calendar shot on the Paradise Island in the Bahamas, photographer Herb Ritts set out to capture in a series of nudes what he called “the gentle innocence” of Kat...
Category

1990s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Glass, Wood, Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print

"I Awate You" Nude Photography 42" x 30" in Edition 1/7 by Larsen Sotelo
By Larsen Sotelo
Located in Culver City, CA
"I Awate You" Nude Photography 42" x 30" in Edition 1/7 by Larsen Sotelo Not framed. Ships in a tube Giclee (Archival Ink) print on 310G Platine Fibre Cotton Rag w/satin finish Com...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Rag Paper, Archival Ink, Giclée

Valpicon Bather
By McDermott & McGough
Located in New York, NY
Known for their work in painting, photography, sculpture, and film, McDermott & McGough comprises visual artists David McDermott and Peter McGough, who formed their partnership on th...
Category

20th Century Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Photogravure

Valpicon Bather
$1,600 Sale Price
46% Off
H 25 in W 20 in
Meschac Gaba Inkjet Pigment Print Photograph African Conceptual Art Dollar Bill
Located in Surfside, FL
Meschac Gaba (Benin, 1961- ) Artist with American Inspiration: 4 World Financial Center, 2004, Meschac Gaba, pigmented inkjet print, Hand signed, dated and inscribed '15 des 30 Artiste d'inspiration Americaine' verso. Dimensions: approximately 17 1/2 x 42 1/2 in. (sheet), 19 x 44 in. (frame) Meshac Gaba employs an intervention on an American dollar bill in Artist with American Inspiration: 4 World Financial Center, swapping out our stately eagle for his smiling face portrait. One of Gaba’s sculptures appears on the left as well. Meschac Gaba (born 1961) is a Beninese conceptual artist based in Rotterdam and Cotonou. His installations of everyday objects whimsically juxtapose African and Western cultural identities and commerce. He is best known for The Museum of Contemporary African Art 1997–2002, an autobiographical 12-room installation acquired and displayed by the Tate Modern in 2013. He has also exhibited at the Studio Museum in Harlem and at the 2003 Venice Biennale. Meshac Gaba was born in Cotonou, Benin, in 1961. He had drifted from his training as a painter until a bag of decommissioned money cut into confetti led him to make paintings with the material. 1981-1985 He was a student at the artist studio of Zossou Gratien, Cotonou, Benin. Gaba became known for his installations of everyday objects that whimsically juxtapose African and Western cultural identities and commerce. He held a residency at the Amsterdam Rijksakademie in 1996 for two years. In the absence of opportunities to display his work in the city, he set out over the next five years to make his own museum. This piece became his seminal The Museum of Contemporary African Art 1997–2002, which consists of 12 rooms (some based on museum function and others personal) filled with objects made by Gaba. Throughout the exhibition ran a vein of confessional narrative about the artist's art travails between Africa and Europe The wedding room, which he made while in love, holds mementos as museum artifacts from Gaba's wedding to the Dutch curator Alexandra van Dongen in 2000 at the Amsterdam Stedelijk Museum. The Library room holds art...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Inkjet

Photograph - CiCi's Moon River - framed
By John-Paul Pietrus
Located in Los Angeles, CA
20x24 in. - Edn of 20 C print Signed, numbered, original Certificate of Authenticity from artist. Framed- Approx. 33 " X 29" outside frame measurement John-Paul Pietrus was born in...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

C Print

"Secret Menu" Nude Figurative Photography 30" x 45" in Ed. 1/7 by Larsen Sotelo
By Larsen Sotelo
Located in Culver City, CA
"Secret Menu" Nude Figurative Photography 30" x 45" in Ed. 1/7 by Larsen Sotelo Not framed. Ships in a tube Comes with COA Available sizes: Edition of 15: 24" x 36" inch Editio...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Rag Paper, Giclée

Previously Available Items
Swan-Like Embrace (Paris) by Nan Goldin
By Nan Goldin
Located in London, GB
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

Ivy in Rhinestones
By Nan Goldin
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Nan Goldin (b. 1953) is one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. Beginning in the 1970s, Goldin took candid shots of her friends and lovers, characters often l...
Category

1970s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Polaroid

David Modelling
By Nan Goldin
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Nan Goldin (b. 1953) is one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. Beginning in the 1970s, Goldin took candid shots of her friends and lovers, characters often living on the margins of society. Many of Goldin's images are like entries from a diary; recording intimate elements from both her daily life and her adventures. The spirit of Goldin's work, which is often raw, tender, and audacious, has strong roots in her formative years. Goldin was introduced to photography at the age of 16 when her teacher distributed Polaroid cameras. A few years later, Goldin would become involved with Boston's Drag scene, befriending or living with a host of young Queer people. For around four years (1970-1974) Goldin focused on documenting her new-found community and crew. David Armstrong (1954-2014) was an early friend whose career as a photographer developed in tandem with Goldin's in Boston. Armstrong also helped further introduce Goldin to the city's gay scene...
Category

1970s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Polaroid

Bea at the Other Side
By Nan Goldin
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Nan Goldin (b. 1953) is one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. Beginning in the 1970s, Goldin took candid shots of her friends and lovers, characters often ...
Category

1970s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Polaroid

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...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Feminist Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Wood, Offset

Siobhan with Cat
By Nan Goldin
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Nan Goldin (b. 1953) is unquestionably one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. She began her career in the 1970s taking candid shots of her friends and lovers...
Category

1990s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

C Print

Jimmy Paulette and Taboo! Undressing, NYC
By Nan Goldin
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Nan Goldin (b. 1953) is one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. Beginning in the 1970's Goldin took candid shots of her lovers and friends - especially drag qu...
Category

1990s Conceptual Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

C Print

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) Stamped in ink (lower right verso): Special edition to benefit Dr. Roger Weiss / and The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment / Program at McLean Hospital Available from Matthew Marks Gallery...
Category

1970s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Bea with a whip at The Other Side
By Nan Goldin
Located in New York, NY
Bea with a whip at The Other Side 1973 Signed in pencil, verso; Also stamped with date, titled, and edition information, verso Gelatin silver print (Edition of 100) 13.25 x 8.875 ...
Category

1970s Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Jimmy Paulette and Taboo! Undressing, NYC
By Nan Goldin
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Nan Goldin (b. 1953) is one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. Beginning in the 1970's Goldin took candid shots of her lovers and friends - especially drag queens and trans women, characters often living on the margins of society, in New York City and beyond. "Jimmy Paulette and Taboo! Undressing” is a paradigm of Goldin's work from the early 1990s celebrating the glamour, beauty, and comradery of the New York drag scene. It is also an important image of one of Goldin's favorite subjects. The photograph features Jimmy Paulette and Taboo!, two of Goldin's beloved and recurring muses, in a New York apartment. Jimmy Paulette, on the left, poses against the door frame, with a strong gaze that is both demure and mischievous. His Mona Lisa smile and kind eyes contribute to the sense of intimacy that this piece evokes. Meanwhile, Taboo!'s profile is visible on the bottom right through the reflection of a floor-length mirror. This image is one of several iconic photographs of Jimmy Paulette that represent the unique energy and presence of Drag during New York City Pride, including Jimmy Paulette on David's Bike, NYC and Jimmy Paulette After the Parade, 1991 Today, images of drag queens and glamorous trans women are increasingly common, considering the success of TV shows such as RuPaul's Drag Race...
Category

1990s Conceptual Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

C Print

Drugs on the rug
By Nan Goldin
Located in New York, NY
Drugs on the rug 2016 Signed in black ink, verso Chromogenic print 6 x 6 inches (15.24 x 15.24 cm), sheet 5.5 x 5.5 inches (14 x 14 cm), image This work is offered by ClampArt in...
Category

2010s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

C and So competing for the Oscar, Second Tip Bangkok, 1992
By Nan Goldin
Located in New York, NY
C and So competing for the Oscar, Second Tip Bangkok, 1992/printed later Signed in black ink, verso Chromogenic print 6 x 6 inches (15.24 x 15.24 cm), sheet 5.5 x 5.5 inches (14 x...
Category

1990s Contemporary Nan Goldin Photography

Materials

C Print

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.

Recently Viewed

View All