The Ballads issue of Aperture magazine is organized around the themes contained within the original ballad--intimacy, friendship, community, love, sex, trauma, music--while also honoring the urgent role of the artist as a force for cultural and social change. Few works have impacted the world of photography like Nan Goldin´s The Ballad of Sexual Dependency. Published by Aperture in 1986, The Ballad retains an uncommon power with its unflinching portrayal of friends, lovers, and relationships--a dramatic opera of joy and despair. Decades on, influencing new generations of artists. Goldin herself remains a bold, singular force in our culture. Aperture magazine returns to an iconic work with "Ballads," a special issue featuring an exclusive interview with Goldin as well as a section curated by the artist dedicated to her influences.