This is a mood board I have compiled of some of Nan Goldin’s works. Born in Washington in 1953, Nan Goldin is an American photographer and activist. Now living and working in New York City, she explores LGBT subcultures, moments of intimacy, the HIV/AIDS crisis and the opioid epidemic through her works. Her first exhibition, in 1973, highlighted the gay and transgender communities. This work was inspired by her love for drag queens. While she was 18, she lived in downtown Boston with a group of queens and created her work ‘Ivy wearing a fall, Boston‘. Goldin said that her “desire was to show them as a third gender, as another sexual option, a gender option. And to show them with a lot of respect and love, to kind of glorify them because I really admire people who can re-create themselves and manifest their fantasies publicly. I think it’s brave“. This links to the ‘challenge’ element of the observe, seek, challenge theme, as Goldin is capturing these individuals from an admirable and respected perspective. She is challenging stereotypical views of sexualities.

Upon attending the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Goldin was advised to return and create additional photographs of the drag queens. She expressed that she felt her work wasn’t the same as it was while living with the queens. I believe this shows how it is much easier to create successful, influential images of a community when you are part of it yourself or involved otherwise. By living with these queens, Goldin was able to gain perspective by being integrated into the community. This shows how by having access to the people you’re photographing, and being able to form a connection with your subjects, you can create impactful and meaningful images. The outcomes of this are more realistic and allow a sense of comfort to be established during the image making process, as they are familiar with the photographer.

My own project consists of me taking photographs of my friends. This is a part of my own community, and I have known most of them for a very long time. This connection with the subjects allows me to create images which are more realistic of the teenage girl experience as well as allowing them to feel comfortable in performing for the eccentric photographs I plan on creating.