American artist Nan Goldin explores subculture, moments of intimacy, the impacts of the HIV/AIDS and opioid epidemics on her communities, and photography as a tool for social activism. Goldin’s work is always born out of her own experience—her deeply personal and candid portraiture acts as a visual autobiography. Born in Washington DC, Goldin moved to New York City in 1978, where she began to photograph the post-punk new-wave scene, along with the city’s vibrant, post-Stonewall queer communities. The Ballad of Sexual Dependency, which began life as a slide show and was published as a now-iconic book in 1986, established Goldin as a major contemporary artist. A long-standing social activist, Goldin is the subject of the recent, award-winning documentary film All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, which considers the relationship between her photographic practice and her activism. Please note this exhibition is not suitable for children under the age of 15. Curated by Anne O'Hehir A National Gallery of Australia Touring Exhibition Nan Goldin Mark tattooing Mark, Boston1978 National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, purchased in celebration of the National Gallery of Australia's 40th anniversary, 2022 © Nan Goldin