Artist : Nan Goldin
Nan Goldin is a very unique photographer who captures very intense moments. I chose to talk about one of her photographs because to be honest, her photographs make me uncomfortable. Nan Goldin is known for focusing on gay and transsexual communities and photographing them as they proceed with their daily lives. However, Goldin also shoots couples in intense, sexual moments, but also one member of a couple who has suffered abuse from the other. This photograph is a young man who has obviously suffered intense physical abuse throughout his rib cage area. Although I could not find the title to this piece or when it was shot, I find it to be a very strong photograph that reaches out to the viewer.
The young man in this photograph seems to be showing his bruises off quite openly to whoever wants to see. However, the jacket he is wearing, and the fact that he has his hood on suggests that before this photo was taken, he was covered up completely, trying to hide his pain. The physical abuse looks recent as his nipple looks to be bleeding. The bruises are red and have not turned a complete purple or green which signify a sign of healing. Instead, red and pink dominate his ribs. His facial expression suggests that he has a secret, but will not tell it openly. As many abuse victims do, he seems to want to hide this and wait it out to see if it gets better. Also, his pose represents a strong person with the way his back is curved and the gaze he is giving. It is possible that this young man is trying to say that he is capable of dealing with this situation. Nan Goldin captures these sad, intense moments that most people who have not been subjected to such abuse would never see. These are the hidden stories and the people who are unfortunately subjected to abuse that happen all the time.
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