Time for another book review from the recent birthday stash. This time the wonderfully whimsical work of Rob Ryan.
I saw this book on sale in the shop at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park where he had recently exhibited some images which were adhered to the large windows.
I can remember the first time I saw a screen print of Rob’s just wondering how he could produce such intricate work. Then when I found out he papercut to the same standard as his screen printing, I was astounded. I had a go at Polish paper-cutting not long back and it is really hard on your finger joints, so I’m impressed he can do this all day long.
I particularly wanted this book because it showed the behind the scenes action and I hoped that he would talk a little about his methodology and I wasn’t disappointed. He comes across as a very genuine, fun-loving guy who is a deep thinker and an artist to the core.
He trained as a fine artist but found that he was painting more and more words onto his canvases to the exclusion of the images. He says he felt that paper cutting (he thought) would force a back to basics approach and provide no opportunity for words and that’s primarily why he took that route. Of course words are still very much intrinsic to his art and play an important role. He feels that people can respond to the language in a papercut in a way that they can’t when it is in a painting.
He has really interesting ideas about the value of a shop as a gallery and a gallery as a shop; feeling that people are less intimidated and therefore more likely to buy an art piece, if the retail space says shop to them rather than gallery and I think he might have a point.
He favours the large paper which is used for big church bibles and he always hand draws the image and words, hand cuts it and then it is sprayed another colour if wanted. His work has charm and poignancy and most importantly a message. Before I read the book I just looked at the images of cards and such and thought “cute” but since reading more about the artist himself and where he’s coming from, I feel a new appreciation for the simple but much-needed messages that he gets out into the world and he is so humble, peaceful and unassuming it makes his message even more effective.
I’ll finish with a quote from Rob himself
” I would be the first to put up my hand and say ‘Yes I am a mess”…why else would any of these words and pictures I make exist? They are there solely to turn bad thoughts into good things, fears into hope…we all secretly share the same fears and dreams but keep them locked up inside ourselves.”
