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Originally Posted by Bytor Peltor
I don't find the image pornographic. Anyone who has little kids know they love to run around in the nude. When they do, it's one of the most innocent activities ever. I feel some of that innocence is lost when the picture is put on display for all the world to see. Viewing the picture doesn't change the act, but for some it does change their perception of the image. Personally, I guess I could understand it better if I knew Nan's relationship with the two girls. If it's her sisters two daughters and Nan just happened to be visiting and snapped this when the girls were playing, I can understand that. If a stranger asked Nan to come over and then instructs her daughters to start playing and maybe get naked like you sometimes do just so Nan can capture that sort of image (especially if the parents are doing it for money)......then I do find that disturbing.
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I agree, any innocence the photograph had was lost as soon as it was reproduced in books and put
on display. From what I can remember, I think the two girls are a friends daughter and niece and it was taken while she was visiting their house (who exactly would want a photograph like that of their daughter to be exhibited?)
I think people find it shocking because:
1. Its a naked child, which is an unquestionable taboo, and
2. because they probably see it as exploitive.
Alot of people probably see Nan Goldin as a photographer who exploits her subjects but I think she does the opposite and "celebrates" them. Her books have a family photo-album/ Journal like quality to them. Shes friends/family with practically all of her subjects and lives amongst them (Devils Playground really focuses on certain individuals in her life compared to The Ballad/I'll be Your Mirror etc.) There is a quote in Devils Playground that sums it up, it goes something like " I took photographs to remember everything that I had...now it only reminds me of what I lost"
I find someone like Diane Arbus to be more exploitive, despite her asking subjects for their permission to be photographed. To me she basically hunted down and "shot" freaks.
That said, the camera is exploitive no matter what a persons intention is.
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If a stranger asked Nan to come over and then instructs her daughters to start playing and maybe get naked like you sometimes do just so Nan can capture that sort of image (especially if the parents are doing it for money)......then I do find that disturbing.
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For some reason I think that is the case. Which is sad. There are other series in the book with Parents sharing a bed with their 5-6 yr old and having sex while he (and Nan) watches/giggles/ jumps up and down. Basically its voyeuristic and alot of it does seem staged but I still think its a really good book.