Nan Goldin (b. 1953) is unquestionably one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. She began her career in the 1970s taking candid shots of her friends and lovers, characters often living on the margins of society. Like a private photo album, Goldin gives the viewer access to her fascinating friends and exploits.

“Butch in the Tub, NYC, 1988” is a paradigm of Goldin’s depictions of New York’s downtown scene from one of her most desirable eras of production. This image was originally included in her groundbreaking and most famous body of work, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency.

Here, she captures her friend Butch, pregnant and smiling in a bubble bath. Butch wraps herself in a loving embrace while a warm glow of light sensuously envelopes her body. Framed by black and white bathroom tiles, she exudes an aura of unabashed joy and hope.

With an unflinching honesty, Goldin doesn’t require the subject to make contact with the camera. The photograph is intimate and revealing, seeking to capture the reality of her friend in real time.

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“Butch in the Tub, NYC, 1988”

USA, 1988

Cibachrome print

Signed and numbered by the artist verso

15”H 23”W (image) 

30”H 25”W (framed) 

From an edition of 125

Very good condition. Detailed condition report by request