Nan Golin

Nan Goldin work formed a ‘new kind of realism’ a characteristic which went on to inspire thousands of followers and imitators. She is an artist who has become obsessed with taking control of her own personal history. She saves her own memories through her photography, ‘The diary I let people read’.

Goldin and her photos, her work and personal life locked together to form one single who with an original feel to it. Goldin’s work can be described as concept driven snap shots. Her locations are usually interior spaces such as cluttered rooms and bathrooms or bars and beds.

Born in 1953 Goldin was born in Washington DC where her parents shortly moved to Boston where she spent several years unhappy. She moved away from her family in 1963, where she was 14 years old. She discovered her sister whom she had been every close to had committed suicide, Gioldin was deeply distraught and her family kept the suicide hidden from her for some time. Telling her the death was a terrible accident – this is perhaps why truth is something very important to Goldin and something she alwaus wants to reveal.

As the memory of her sister started to fade, Goldin began to take photographs to hold and preserve for fear of losing memories of her friends whom had become her ‘Alternative’ family.

One of the reasons I was attracted to Goldin's work was the emotional document in her images. I love the way she used colour to highlight the intimacy . The raw style of Goldins work and snapshot aesthetic works together to form the documentary of her life and shared memories she has a strong desire to keep. I also love the purity and innocence of her work and informal style that follows no rules. Her work doesn't act as anything else but what it is - a document moment in time.