New Award for Minimalist Still Life: Abysm

I am thrilled to have won second place in the Still Life/Pro category in the 15th annual International Black and White Spider Awards, based in Beverley Hills, USA. This leading international award “honors excellence in black and white photography” with an illustrious panel of judges from: Musee de l'Elysee, Lausanne; Sotheby's, London; Travel/Discovery Channel, New York; Kunsthaus Zurich, Switzerland; Portuguese Center of Photography, Porto; Aeroplastics Contemporary, Brussels; The Guardian, London; Contrasto Galleria, Milan; ADK Creative One Inc., Tokyo; Hiroshima MOCA, Japan; MACBA, Barcelona; and Pereira O'Dell in New York.

"It's an incredible achievement to be selected among the best from the 6,378 entries from 69 countries we received this year" said Basil O'Brien, the awards Creative Director. "Paul Coghlin’s "Abysm," an exceptional image entered in the Still Life/Pro category, represents black and white photography at its finest, and we're pleased to present Paul with the title of Second Place."

Abysm is a minimalist still life that I worked on during our first pandemic lockdown here in the UK, and it reflects a little of how I felt at the time.

Life suddenly slowed down, almost to a standstill, and it felt as if we were on the verge of free-falling into a dark abyss. The novel coronavirus had caused chaos around the world, and it was the uncertaintity of not knowing, that sowed fear in people’s minds. Just like the cup in the image, it felt as if the world was frozen in time.

As we head into our second period of lockdown, most people have a different mindset. We know what to expect, we are better prepared and we know a possible vaccine is on the horizon. We have something to aim for; light at the end of this long and dark tunnel we are in.

The damage this pandemic has inflicted on people’s lives, especially on the lives of people who have lost family or friends, however, will last for a very long time. The economic hardship, the changes to our lifestyles and to our collective mental well-being will have a profound impact for years, if not generations, to come, and this image is my way of capturing some of those thoughts.

The limited edition print is available up to 40 inches.

I hope you stay safe and well, wherever you are in the world.

Paul.