Jewish American Heritage Month - Featured Artist - Nan Goldin
May is Jewish American Heritage Month, and it is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Jewish Americans to the country's culture, history, and society. This month, I would like to highlight the work of a favorite photographer of mine, Nan Goldin, whose raw and powerful images have captured the essence of life in America since the 1970s. Nan rocked my world when I was a young artist living in SF. I stumbled upon her work in a gallery and couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Born in 1953 in Washington, D.C., Nan Goldin grew up in a Jewish family and was exposed to art at an early age. She began taking photographs as a teenager and eventually moved to New York City, where she became part of a vibrant community of artists and musicians. Her early work focused on the downtown music and arts scenes, and her images captured the raw energy and vitality of that era.
Nan and Brian in Bed, New York City, 1983
Rise and Monty Kissing, New York City, 1980
Goldin's work is characterized by its emotional intensity and honesty. She has said that her goal as a photographer is to "show people as they really are," and her images certainly achieve this. Her most famous series, "The Ballad of Sexual Dependency," is a deeply personal and autobiographical work that documents her relationships with friends, lovers, and family members. The images are raw and unflinching, showing the beauty and pain of human relationships in equal measure. Side note here: I asked my mother for the book The Ballad of Sexual Dependency for Christmas. I got it from her, and I think she was worried about me.
““For me it is not a detachment to take a picture. It’s a way of touching somebody—it’s a caress, I think that you can actually give people access to their own soul.”
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Goldin's work is also notable for its social and political commentary. Her photographs often focus on marginalized communities, including the LGBTQ+ community, drug users, and sex workers. She has used her art to challenge stereotypes and promote empathy and understanding across different cultures and identities.
Misty and Jimmy Paulette in a taxi, NYC, 1991
Jimmy Paulette on David’s bicycle, 1991
Goldin's impact on the art world cannot be overstated. She has been widely recognized as one of the most influential photographers of her generation, and her work has been exhibited in major museums around the world. In 2018, she was awarded the prestigious Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography.
As we celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month, let us remember the contributions of artists like Nan Goldin, whose work inspires us to see the world in new ways and to appreciate the beauty and complexity of our diverse communities. Her images are a testament to the power of art to create empathy, understanding, and social change, and they remind us of the importance of celebrating our differences and our shared humanity.
Follow Goldin on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/nangoldinstudio
At Jennifer Loomis Photography we are committed to amplifying under-represented voices through diversity and inclusion. See Jennifer’s work from Essentially Seattle.