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.
$420Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Nan Goldin exhibition poster 1995
By Nan Goldin
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage original 1990s Nan Goldin exhibition poster published on the occasion of: NAN GOLDIN THE BALLAD OF SEXUAL DEPENDENCY AND NEW PHOTOGRAPHS: 4 FEBRUARY TO 16 APRIL 1995 MATTHE...
Paper
$3,200 / item
Nan Goldin "Jens' Hand on Clemen's Back, Paris"
By Nan Goldin
Located in New York, NY
You can see her work in the permanent collections of The Whitney, The Tate and MoMA. And now, you can hang this powerful photographs on the walls of your own home. "Jens' hand on Cl...
Paper
Lake George Vintage Photograph, circa 1910
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
An unusual photograph, circa 1910-1920 where the letters Lake George are made of cutout photographs. Original frame-really a unique object with character and timeless character. Lak...
Paper
$6,840
H 7 in W 5 in D 1 in
Jill Freedman Kissing FDNY 1976, Black & White Photo on Kodak Endura, Signed
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Jill Freedman Kissing FDNY 1976, black & white photo on Kodak Endura, Signed. Image also known as ‘Brotherly Love.” This is a black and white photogr...
Paper
$1,800
H 32.25 in W 27.3 in D 1.3 in
Christo / The Pont Neuf Wrapped / Project For Paris, 1984 Lithograph
By Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Nouvelles Images
Located in New York, NY
Christo / The Pont Neuf Wrapped / Project for Paris, 1984 / Collage En Deux Partes Offset lithograph in colors on woven paper, published by Nouvelles Ima...
Paper
$1,800Sale Price|20% Off
H 65.25 in W 24.25 in D 1.25 in
Framed Vintage Life-Size Marilyn Monroe Pin-Up Poster
Located in Chicago, IL
A super fun vintage framed life-size pin-up poster of a young Marilyn Monroe in a red and white striped bikini and showing her Classic shining smile.
Paper
Original James Bond 'For Your Eyes Only' Poster, c.1981
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
A rare and original poster from the James Bond 007 blockbuster, For Your Eyes Only. A 1981 British spy film directed by John Glen (in his feature directorial debut) and produced by Albert R. Broccoli. The film stars Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond, and co-stars Carole Bouquet, Chaim Topol, Lynn-Holly Johnson...
Paper
$469Sale Price|20% Off
H 35.04 in W 25.2 in D 0.2 in
GIANNI VERSACE Poster created by Mimmo Rotella for Mostra Dialogue du Mode, 1987
By Gianni Versace, Mimmo Rotella
Located in Milano, IT
Rara Locandina by Gianni Versace created by Mimmo Rotella for the exhibition held at the Palais Galliera, Musèe de la Mode et du Costume, in Paris. 198...
Paper
Nan Goldin Valérie in the Taxi, Paris Print
Located in New York, NY
You can see her work in the permanent collections of The Whitney, The Tate and MoMA. And now, you can hang this powerful photographs on the walls of your own home. Valerie in the t...
Paper
$2,950
H 16 in W 12 in D 0.5 in
Anna Condo, From My Garden #1, Dye Sublimation Print on Aluminum, US, 2021
By Anna Condo
Located in New York, NY
Anna Condo, a filmmaker and a photographer born in Armenia and raised in France, has been photographing flowers, her "ultimate muse," since 2013. The medium became a creative outlet ...
Aluminum
$1,100 / set
H 31.5 in W 21.5 in D 0.5 in
Larry Clark Signed Gallery Exhibition Offset Lithograph Posters
By Larry Clark
Located in Atlanta, GA
Larry Clark Gallery exhibition offset lithograph posters, American, circa 1996. The poster on the left is signed by the artist. They are from the famed photographer, filmmaker, and a...
Glass, Wood, Paper
Ruhlmann Vintage Photograph Album (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
A unique photograph album in original grey card wrappers with the Ruhlmann name embossed on the front and the name of the client Monsieur Molinie also...
Paper
$1,288
H 61.82 in W 47.64 in D 0.79 in
Gered Mankowitz Jimi Hendrix London 1967 Print Orange Gold Purple on Canvas
By Gered Mankowitz
Located in Hamburg, DE
Gered Mankowitz Jimi Hendrix London 1967 print on canvas in color orange, gold and purple, size 121 x157cm. One Off - Made By The Artist For Exhibition In 1994, 3 different print...
Canvas
Signed Herb Ritts Poster
By Herb Ritts, 1952-2002
Located in Nashville, TN
Signed Herb Ritts 1995. Poster designed for Ritt's exhibition at the Fahey-Klein Gallery, Los Angeles. Image size: 25"w x 22.25"h
Wood
Vintage Nan Goldin exhibition poster 1995
By Nan Goldin
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage original 1990s Nan Goldin exhibition poster published on the occasion of: NAN GOLDIN THE BALLAD OF SEXUAL DEPENDENCY AND NEW PHOTOGRAPHS: 4 FEBRUARY TO 16 APRIL 1995 MATTHEW MARKS GALLERY 522 WEST 22ND STREET NEW YORK Offset lithograph. 1995. 17x17 inches. Good overall vintage condition. Minor signs of handling; light wear to fold-lines. Unsigned from an edition of unknown. About Nan Goldin : Photographer Nan Goldin (American, b.1953) grew up in Boston, MA, where she started taking photographs as a teenager as a way of documenting the gay and transsexual communities she had been introduced to by her close friend and fellow photographer David Armstrong. In these early works, she maintained a particular focus on images of drag queens, which continued as a powerful motif throughout her work. She attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where she began creating a body of work that would later form the basis of her most well-known project, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency. Related Categories: NAN GOLDIN PHOTOGRAPH, VINTAGE GALLERY POSTER...
Paper
Signed & Framed Original Nan Goldin Magnum Print, 2010
By Nan Goldin
Located in London, GB
For sale an original signed museum-quality Magnum/Aperture photographic print by renowned American artist NAN GOLDIN. Titled "Sunny at the spa, distortion. L’Hotel, Paris. 2010", t...
Paper
Signed Nan Goldin Magnum Photographic Print, 1992
By Nan Goldin
Located in London, GB
For sale an original signed museum-quality Magnum/Aperture 6x6 photographic print by renowned American artist NAN GOLDIN. Titled "C and So competing for the Oscar, Second Tip, Bangkok, 1992", this Magnum print is a time-limited edition that was only available to purchase for a period of five days. The work is signed to the back together with an affixed archival label which carries the image’s accompanying text and is printed on Fuji Crystal Archive Matte paper. The piece is mounted in a white lacquered frame. The accompanying text by the artist reads: "The transgender rights movement has been a crucial part of the ongoing street protests. I feel lucky to have lived long enough to have witnessed this sea change in visibility and acceptance of Trans people in our culture. In the early ’90s, I traveled to Bangkok to photograph the world of queens known as ‘ladyboys.’ Second Tip was their home and sanctuary. Every week, they held lavishly produced beauty contests, wearing showgirl costumes...
Paper
Signed & Framed Nan Goldin Magnum Photographic Print, 1990
By Nan Goldin
Located in London, GB
For sale an original limited edition signed museum-quality Magnum/Aperture 6x6 photographic print by renowned American artist NAN GOLDIN. Titled "Drugs on the Rug. New York City, USA, 2016", this Magnum print...
Paper
Signed Nan Goldin Magnum Photographic Print, 1992
By Nan Goldin
Located in London, GB
For sale an original limited edition signed museum-quality Magnum/Aperture 6x6 photographic print by renowned American artist NAN GOLDIN. Titled "C and So competing for the Oscar, Second Tip, Bangkok, 1992", this Magnum print was a time limited edition The work is signed to the back together with an affixed archival label which carries the image’s accompanying text and is printed on Fuji Crystal Archive Matte paper. The piece is mounted in a white lacquered frame. The accompanying text by the artist reads: "The transgender rights movement has been a crucial part of the ongoing street protests. I feel lucky to have lived long enough to have witnessed this sea change in visibility and acceptance of Trans people in our culture. In the early ’90s, I traveled to Bangkok to photograph the world of queens known as ‘ladyboys.’ Second Tip was their home and sanctuary. Every week, they held lavishly produced beauty contests, wearing showgirl costumes...
Paper
Nan Goldin Original Signed C-Print Photograph 1991.
By Nan Goldin
Located in New York, NY
An original Nan Goldin (USA, born 1953) print titled "Jimmy Paulette after the Parade, NYC, 1991," signed and numbered on the back AP 11. C-print on Sintra foam board. D...
Photographic Paper