Nan Goldin

Born in Washington but lives and works in Paris, France.
She uses her close relationships as subjects.
Her and her friends lived hard in the 70s.
"The instant of photographing, instead of creating distance, is a moment of clarity and emotional connection for me."
"Not as a chronicle of the lives of others, but as "the diary I let people read.""
compulsion to record each day, exposes raw emotion.
devoted to chronicling the unscripted dramas in her and her friends' lives.
Her sister committed suicide and Nan ran away to cope, she ended up living at a commune.
The friends she made at the commune lasted a lifetime.
Her sister's death influence her career greatly.
Her desire for intimacy, respect for honesty, and a need to push limits define her artistic expression.
No limits! Real Life.
Finds beauty in the pain and crazy lives.
"I photograph out of love... and out of my idea of beauty and of desire. I don't allow myself to photograph out of the critical side of me."
Goldin is amazing. Her life is filled with so much pain, fun, death, and drugs. Her work is inspiring.