October 29, 2011 |
I first became aware of Nan goldin’s work through the documentary ‘I will be your mirror’ which aired on the BBC in the mid nineties, illustrating the kind of intimacy which makes the photographers pictures so unique. The proximity between Nan and her subjects has a way of dragging you into the frame, and finds a quiet melancholic kind of beauty in it’s grittier scenes. Their darkness is penetrating, and many of her images remain stamped in my memory. Googling is NOT the greatest way to explore the work of an artist, but doing so immediately reveals two overriding themes. Love and desire. In every image it’s almost as though the camera is caressing it’s subject. Obviously these are ancient concepts In art, and Nan’s latest exhibit ‘Scopophilia’ which translates as ‘the love of looking’ demonstrates this well. Pairing autobiographical works with new photographs of painting and sculpture from the Louvre’s collection, drawing a direct comparison by hanging them side by side. A must see. October 29th-December 3rd.
by Vincent Levy
