By Joshua Errett

Not since David Cronenburg’s 1986 film The Fly (starring Jeff Goldblum) has Canada received such appreciation for our stylized insects. Toronto artist Peter Schafrick picked up international recognition yesterday for his still life photography of dead insects. The 2004 Spider Awards are a prestigious international awards competition recognizing excellence in black and white photography. Schafrick won first place in the still life category for his photo Roadkill, which depicts the demise of a house fly. The winning photo (pictured, thanks Spider Awards) was selected by such important institutions as the Tate Gallery, Sotheby’s New York, Communication Arts magazine and other leading photographic curators, magazine editors, art institutions and members of the photography industry. Goldblum, however marginalized by the recent award, is still loved by many.