Authenticity, Lawlessness and the Lack of Aesthetics in Nan Goldin and Larry Clark’s Photography

Journal: Arts Studies and Criticism DOI: 10.32629/asc.v2i3.440

Qiao Fan

University of New South Wales

Abstract

Nan Goldin and Larry Clark documented the real life of degenerate groups in the late 1900s in the United States by photographing. Coming from similar backgrounds, authenticity and lawlessness run through Goldin and Clark’s photography, and the lack of aesthetics in their works exactly reinforces the authenticity and lawlessness of them. The article analyses Goldin and Clark’s photography styles from their backgrounds and skills, and takes examples from Goldin’s The ballad of sexual dependency, The devil’s playground and Clark’s Tulsa to introduce and compare the authenticity and lawlessness the photographers manifest in their photography.

Keywords

photography, Nan Goldin, Larry Clark, authenticity, lawlessness, aesthetics

References

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Copyright © 2021 Qiao Fan

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