Alexander Coggin's NYC photographs capture ephemeral beauty and quiet sadness
Photographer Alexander Coggin, now based in New York City after 15 years between Berlin and London, presents a new series of personal and editorial works. His signature ultra-clear, flattening 2D style and magpie-like eye find serendipity in mundane scenes—rubbish bags, red leaves, bicycle racks, a showerhead, even a discarded Pret cup. Coggin describes his current tone as shifting from 'nausea' to 'foreboding,' embracing emotional ambiguity and darkness in response to America. He is committed to bringing studio-quality lighting outside, 'complex-ifying' his flash to tailor each subject to its setting. A diptych juxtaposing a funeral and a birthday highlights his storybuilding, exploring liminal emotionality and the invisible waveforms of city life. Coggin references Stephen Sondheim's 'Finishing the Hat' as inspiration for revering everyday objects. His work aims to make viewers 'look a while longer' at the stock-still medium of photography.
Key facts
- Alexander Coggin has returned to New York City to live and work full-time.
- He previously lived between Berlin and London for 15 years.
- His photographic style features ultra-clear focus that flattens images into 2D.
- He describes his current tone as 'foreboding' and embracing 'emotional ambiguity.'
- Coggin finds beauty in mundane objects like rubbish bags, red leaves, and a Pret cup.
- A diptych shows a funeral and a birthday, both solemn and intimate.
- He cites Stephen Sondheim's song 'Finishing the Hat' as inspiration.
- The works are autobiographical and aim to capture visible, liminal emotionality.
Entities
Artists
- Alexander Coggin
- Stephen Sondheim
Institutions
- It's Nice That
Locations
- New York City
- Berlin
- London
- United States
- Times Square