“I’m not so interested in photography anymore,” Nan Goldin shared with our editor-in-chief. “That should be the headline,” was the editor’s immediate response.
As a part of Hyperallergic’s 2024 Pride Month series, this article features discussions with influential queer and trans figures in the art world. During a visit to Goldin’s New York apartment, I found myself capturing her with my iPhone 13, despite its cracked screen. Surprisingly, the renowned photographer allowed me to take pictures, even though she remained cautious.
Goldin gained fame in the 1980s for her intimate portrayal of LGBTQ+ communities in cities like Boston, New York, and Berlin. Her work during the AIDS epidemic, and her transformative slideshow, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency, first showcased at the 1985 Whitney Biennial, document these experiences. After battling an OxyContin addiction, Goldin became a vocal critic of the Sackler family, leading protests with PAIN, her activist group, to strip major museums of the Sackler name. Her journey is further explored in the slideshow Memory Lost and the acclaimed documentary All the Beauty and the Bloodshed by Laura Poitras.
In her Brooklyn home, Goldin appeared lively and generous with her insights. As we spoke, she mentioned her current projects, including a new piece for an upcoming show and another work inspired by the Louvre and Stendhal syndrome. Although she’s moved past traditional photography, her creative instincts remain vibrant.
Goldin’s advice to young artists is candid: disconnect from phones, embrace their sexuality, and find a cause worth fighting for—her current fight being for Palestinian freedom. Despite recognizing her age, Goldin retains a sense of humor and optimism, acknowledging the reality of mortality but finding joy in her life with her cats and the simple pleasures of feeding birds in the park.
