The Devil's Playground

I always liked Nan Goldin, or appreciate is the better word. This book does not disappoint. The photographs in The Devil's Playground are grouped into themed chapters, between which are interspersed captivating texts, poems and lyrics by prominent writers, including famed Nick Cave, Catherine Lampert, Cookie Mueller and the notorious Richard Price.

I'm still trying to figure out why Nick Cave gets top billing on this Nan Goldin book. I have to chalk it up to error. As the liner notes say, this is "the most significant and comprehensive book to date on the work of Nan Goldin". That's exactly what this is. If you like Nan Goldin you'll love this book. This is an encyclopedic volume of her images, has to be 1000 pages, it's massive. One of those books you can page through and see something new every time. My only gripe is that most of the photos are printed full bleed, some span 2 pages with the spine cutting them in half, like a magazine.

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND is a lap-heavy, huge tome of the creative photographs of Nan Goldin, many of which have never before been published. Goldin is know throughout the museums of the world as a photographer who knows no barriers for her subject matter: AIDS victims, mental patients, transvestites, poor families, rural landscapes, constructed still lifes - these are but a few of the categories studied and captured by Goldin. For this full color volume Goldin selected the layout and the progression of sections, making the flow of the book even more fascinating; the book is one where she is both artist and curator and the result is a powerhouse of statement.For devotees of Nan Goldin's work, this book is a must. And for viewers marginally approaching photography as an art form then look no further. A magnum opus of the work of one of America's more significant contemporary artists.

No other word for it except MAGNIFICENT!!!

I got this book for my sister "shes a photographer" for Christmas. It is really well done and she loves it.

so like Nan Goldin's work only un-perfection is the paper of the book is not very good for all those prints.