Nan Goldin - Soeurs, Saintes, Et Sibylles - 2005

Octavo. 21cm. Publisher's purple paper covered boards titled in gilt to spine and front board. Unpaginated. A little scrape or two to the extremities, otherwise clean and bright; internally clean, A very good copy indeed. Nan Goldin" Illustrated with Goldin's photographs, and earlier images of her life as a child, with text in French and English

Sœurs, Saintes et Sibylles (English title: Sisters, Saints, and Sibyls) is a deeply poignant book by renowned American photographer Nan Goldin, originally co-published in 2005 by Les Éditions du Regard and the Festival d’Automne à Paris.The publication serves as a tangible, bilingual (French/English) extension of her famous multimedia video triptych.

The work weaves together personal narratives and mythical history to explore the societal traps that confine rebellious women. It breaks down into three distinct thematic layers: Her Sister Barbara: The primary focus centers on Goldin's older sister, Barbara, who was institutionalized throughout her adolescence for her non-conformity and tragically committed suicide at age 18. Goldin's Own Experience: It details Goldin's self-narrative, including her own stays in a psychiatric hospital in London during 2002 while navigating addiction and recovery. The Myth of Saint Barbara: It intertwines these modern accounts with the religious myth of Saint Barbara, a woman decapitated by her father for her devotion to God.