Artist Playfully Holds Cut Paper Silhouettes Against Towering Monuments to Bring Them to Life

Cut paper artist Rich McCor (aka @paperboyo) creates small silhouetted shapes and brings them to life by holding them against European monuments. He positions simple cut outs at the perfect angle, making it appear as though buildings, statues, and fountains are directly interacting with his work. McCor then snaps a photo to capture the whimsical scene.

The playful project started when McCor decided to be a tourist in his own city–London. He wanted to explore the landmarks and history he had previously ignored, so he began researching for compelling facts and brainstorming how to photograph the locale in an original way. McCor's first photo transformed the Big Ben Tower into a wrist watch. While he was there, others nearby took interest in his work, which encouraged him to build on the idea.

Since taking his first photograph, McCor has applied the same playful treatment to many sites in London. And thanks to a commission from Lonely Planet, he's created similar cut outs for monuments in Stockholm, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Paris, captioning each image with random facts about the respective landmark. McCor's series is ongoing, so be sure to follow along on Instagram.

Above: Big Ben, London


Arc de Triomphe, Paris


Af Chapman, Stockholm


London Eye, London


Montmatre, Paris


Niels Juel, Denmark


Somerset House, London


The Little Mermaid, Copenhagen


Maritime Museum, Amsterdam


Tower Bridge, London


Trafalgar Square, London

Rich McCor: Instagram
via [Bored Panda]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled "Embroidered Life" that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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