A lot of people seem to think that art or photography is about the way things look, or the surface of things. That's not what it's about for me. It's really about relationships and feelings...it's really hard for me to do commercial work because people kind of want me to do a Nan Goldin. They don't understand that it's not about a style or a look or a setup. It's about emotional obsession and empathy.
Nan GoldinI always thought if I photographed anyone or anything enough, I would never lose the person, I would never lose the memory, I would never lose the place. But the pictures show me how much I've lost.
Nan GoldinOne of the major things I really want to work on now is female rage because that's not dealt with at all - and I have a lot of it.
Nan GoldinI have the freedom of seeing it [churches and paintings of saints] with a non-Catholic eye without the guilt.
Nan GoldinI'm very much interested in water and women in water. I've been photographing that for years although I didn't really know it at the time.
Nan Goldin