Nan Goldin

Nan Goldin is an American photographer known for her intimate and often provocative images of LGBTQ+ communities, domestic abuse, and addiction. Born in Washington D.C. in 1953, Goldin moved to Boston at the age of 12 and began taking photographs at the age of 15. She studied photography at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston from 1971 to 1973, and then moved to New York City in 1978.

Goldin's work is characterized by its raw, honest depictions of everyday life. Her most famous series, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1986), documents her friends and lovers in a variety of settings—from bars to bedrooms—and captures moments both tender and violent. Her work has been exhibited widely around the world, including at the Whitney Museum of American Art, MoMA PS1, and Tate Modern.

In addition to her photography career, Goldin has also been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and a vocal critic of domestic violence. In 2018 she founded the Nan Goldin Institute for Resilience to support survivors of domestic violence through art therapy programs.

Goldin has received numerous awards throughout her career including a Guggenheim Fellowship (1995), a Hasselblad Award (2003), and a Deutsche Börse Photography Prize (2019). She currently lives and works in New York City.