Nan Goldin (b. 1953) is unquestionably one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. She began her career in the 1970s, as she took candid shots of her circle of friends, frequently drag queens and trans women.

"C. Putting on her Make-Up at Second Tip” is an iconic Goldin image taken during her travels in Bangkok in the early 1990's. Besides its exquisite palette of blues, the composition/motif is one of Goldin's favorites: her subject depicted and engaged in front of a mirror.

The mirror is a key motif in her oeuvre. Appropriately, one of her most celebrated publications is entitled "I'll Be Your Mirror" and this image can be found there. “Joey in front of my mirror, 1992,” is another great example of Goldin's portraiture.

With an unflinching honestly, Nan Goldin doesn’t require the subject to make contact with the camera. The photograph is intimate and revealing, seeking to capture the reality of her friend in real time.

There is an amazing contrast to the creative blue filter and the hot atmosphere that comes from the possibly chaotic interior. The nervous grace of the subject putting make-up is reinforcing but the figure of a man, sitting on a metallic chair, hiding behind her.

Nan Goldin's body of work is consistently personal - she documents the romance, tragedy, triumphs and adventures of her friends and lovers. This photo tells a personal story about relationship and identity, but also comments the expansion of her friendships to Asia.