Cool thing: Kim Gordon - in pictures

Kim Gordon, best known as the bassist and singer for Sonic Youth, has been venerated as an icon of New York cool, an influence on grunge and and a modest polymath who paints, writes, designs clothes and acts Photograph: Jason Hetherington for the Observer

Sonic Youth in 1984. Sonic Youth formed out of New York's post-punk 'no-wave' scene mixing an avant-garde approach to composition with hardcore punk's ferocity. From left: Lee Ranaldo, Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon and Bob Bert Photograph: Peter Noble/Redferns

Kim Gordon and guitarist Lee Ronaldo on stage in 1986 Photograph: Ebet Roberts/Redferns

Sonic Youth backstage at the Paradiso, Amsterdam in 1986 beside Kim Gordon is their new drummer Steve Shelley. This line-up would remain constant until the band added a fifth member in the early 2000s to handle bass duties as Gordon's guitar playing become more integral to the band's sound Photograph: Frans Schellekens/Redferns

Kim Gordon during Sonic Youth's 1991 Reading Festival appearance Photograph: Brian Rasic/Rex Features

Sonic Youth in 1991. In an controversial move for an underground act they signed to the major label Geffen's subsidiary DGC in 1990. DGC also released Nirvana's Nevermind, the label's best-selling album to date Photograph: Everett Collection/Rex Features

Kim Gordon at home in 1995 with Sonic Youth bandmate and then husband Thurston Moore, playing with their daughter Coco Photograph: John Zich/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Image

Homer Simpson joined Sonic Youth on bill of the touring music festival Hullabalooza as a carnival freak who has cannonballs fired at his chest in a 1996 episode of The Simpsons. Sonic Youth's version of the show's theme tune was played over the episode's end credits Photograph: FOX/Allstar

Kim Gordon and Michael Pitt in a scene from Gus Van Sant's 2005 film Last Days. Pitt plays rock musician Blake, based on Kurt Cobain, in the days leading up to his suicide Photograph: Rex Features

Sonic Youth appearing on the TV show Gossip Girl in 2009. Gordon also had a small dramatic role in the episode, officiating the wedding of the characters Rufus Humphrey and Lily van der Woodsen. Gordon and Moore had previously made an appearance, with daughter Coco, in the series Gilmore Girls Photograph: Rex Features

Kim Gordon performs as models present creations from the Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony Autumn/Winter 2013 collection at New York Fashion Week Photograph: Keith Bedford/Reuters

Kim Gordon and Bill Nace performing as Body/Head, Gordon's at the 2013 Meltdown Festival in London. Yoko Ono was that year's festival curator and had worked with Gordon and her ex-husband Thurston Moore on the album Yokokimthurston Photograph: Burak Cingi/Redferns via Getty Images

Somewhat unsurprisingly, having appeared in Gilmore Girls and Gossip Girl, Gordon picked up another acting gig in Lena Dunham's HBO series Girls in 2014 Photograph: HBO

Kim Gordon photographed at the Rookery EC1
exclusively for the Observer Magazine.
Styling Helen Seamons
Hair and Makeup by Dina Catchpole at SOHO Management using Chanel's Le Lift and S/S 2014 & Charles Worthington salon at home products Photograph: Jason Hetherington for the Observer