Richard Gosnold

It Starts With Silence is a poignant story, in which the artist takes the reader on a deeply personal journey, as he searches for understanding and solace. It depicts his struggle to see beauty in the world, whilst knowing that he is powerless to help his wife and daughter. Richard Gosnold and his wife were told, at twenty weeks' gestation, that their expected baby was fatally ill. If the baby survived birth, she would suffer terrible pain, until she stopped breathing. Abortion was illegal in Northern Ireland, so Denise was forced to carry the dying foetus and wait for the inevitable. Employing photography, texts and ephemera, Gosnold powerfully communicates the complexities of his emotional state, while he reflects on baby loss and lack of access to reproductive ealthcare. It Starts With Silence was shortlisted for the Unseen Dummy Award in 2019.