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| Goldin, Nan, Self-Portrait in Blue Bathroom, London, 1980. |
Spinning off of the title of this series, Goldin's work is largely about the struggle that couples find themselves in while being in a relationship as noted in Part I of this Pho·tog Friday series; the struggle of dependency verses autonomy. However, this body of work is also about depression, addiction, illness, and death brought on by dysfunctional relationships, drug abuse and AIDS. It's important to note that Goldin believed in displaying the scene and/or subject which she was photographing "as is"; she did not want to reposition anything and wanted to show "the truth".
This body of work was mainly produced during the late 1970s to mid 1980s and was often viewed as a slideshow with a music overlay and it's important to note that there have been a few editions of The Ballad. The length of the slideshow would vary between 700 to 900 photographs. Goldin would also use different songs within the slideshows. Goldin made a living showing her body of work in nightclubs and other radical venues throughout Europe and the United States during the mid-80s, "pausing" the slideshow tour in 1987.
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| Goldin, Nan, Buzz and Nan at the Afterhours, New York City, 1980. |
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| Goldin, Nan, Monopoly Game, New York City, 1980. |
Goldin's friend Cookie Muller is seen in many of the images within The Ballad. The viewer sees Cookie in many different situations: solo and sad, solo and happy, at her wedding, and at her husband's funeral.
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| Goldin, Nan, Cookie at Tin Pan Alley, New York City, 1980. |
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| Goldin, Nan, Cookie Laughing, New York City, 1985. |
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| Goldin, Nan, Cookie and Vittorio's Wedding, New York City, 1986. |
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| Goldin, Nan, Cookie at Vittorio's Casket, New York City, September 16, 1989, 1989. |
Goldin recently stated in an interview with MOCAtv that she views this series as one that sustains her name as a professional photographer. Within the video, Goldin also talks about her use of color and light. The video below not only helps to have a stronger understanding of the content of the images within The Ballad, when her images were taken, how her slideshows and publication developed but also how The Ballad grows today:
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01. "Nan Goldin - The Ballad of Sexual Dependency - MOCA U - MOCAtv." YouTube. MOCAtv, 06 Dec. 2013. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.
02. "Nan Goldin." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 May 2013. Web. 06 Dec. 2013.
03. "NAN GOLDIN: “Nan Goldin on Cookie Mueller” (2001)." AMERICAN SUBURB X Art Photography and Culture That Matters. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.