Nan Goldin
1985
Archival pigment print
78.7 x 116.5 x 4.4 cm
Winsing Arts Collection

Nan Goldin
1985
Archival pigment print
78.7 x 116.5 x 4.4 cm
Winsing Arts Collection
Since the 1970s, Nan Goldin has been documenting life underneath the New York subculture, with her work closely linked to issues of sex, drugs, violence, and the LGBT community. The Ballad of Sexual Dependency is a series of snapshots that captures the intimate relationships of the people around her: moments of ecstasy and friendship, intimacy and loss.
Described by Goldin as "the diary I let people read," this work is a photographic narrative depicting her extended family in the 1970s and 1980s, and Goldin believes that her photographs stemmed from relationships rather than observations. This piece extols the lives of the people around us, but as the title suggests, it is also concerned with the struggle between emotional or physical autonomy and dependence. The Ballad of Sexual Dependency is the most iconic work throughout the artist's career. Originally screened in a nightclub, it was later exhibited at Times Square show in 1980 and at the Whitney Biennial in 1985. This artwork has evolved over time and is comprised of nearly 700 slides and a score.
