Nan Goldin: The Beautiful Smile Hardcover – November 21, 2017

Ravishing. Impeccable Steidl re-issue. Maybe a little explicit for some tastes, but it couldn't be more tender and loving.

I pre-ordered this book last year after the happy surprise of seeing “Nan Goldin: The Ballad of Sexual Dependency” on exhibit at the MoMA. It reminded me of the admiration I had had for Ms. Goldin’s work when I discovered it as a teen and amateur hobby photographer. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed and disappointed at “The Beautiful Smile.” I found perhaps fifteen of these photos worth print publication. While I am not a professional paid to give my photography review, I am (perhaps like you) a consumer who paid $30 for this hardcover that did not meet my expectations. There is an endless amount of blurry photographs with no focal point (that reached me, anyway). I recognize that these photos are special and evocative to the artist and her friends; but for a contemporary outsider, the selection feels under-edited and self-indulgent. Simply not her best selection. And certainly not for everyone (but if you are familiar with her work, you already know this).

recycled images of the past with pictures that anyone could've made with their eyes closed

Beautiful.