Paradise lost: exhibitionism and the work of Nan Goldin

This article examines the ways in which changes to photography associated with digital culture have acted to highlight place of exhibitionism in the work of Nan Goldin. It proposes a paradigm shift in understanding Goldin’s practice, excavating and re-thinking neglected aspects of recent photography history based on possibilities suggested by the present. Firstly, it considers exhibitionism as a significant and under-researched aspect of the work. Secondly, the essay compares the sharing of intimate photographs online and as art, to unpick the complex relationships that exist between them. The article demonstrates the extent to which the emergence of new photographic practices has destabilised assumptions that once underpinned aspects of photography’s artistic display, through the de-professionalised forms of exhibitionism they encourage. The analysis signals the ways in which radical changes to a wider photographic landscape demand existing art practices be reconsidered.