Parker Cars Magazine: Issue 4

It all started when Rich McCor posted his photo of
Big Ben on Instagram (top left). Except, as you can
see, it’s not any ordinary photo. He has added his
own special touch.
That was July 2015. A year and a bit later, Rich,
better known online as Paperboyo, has now posted
more than 200 of his paper-cutting photos on
Instagram, garnering a loyal fanbase of 207,000
followers… and counting. Always playful, the
subjects include Tower Bridge as a rollercoaster, St
Paul’s Cathedral as an ice cream, London Eye as a
bicycle, City Hall as a snail, and The O2 as a birthday
cake. Further afield, he has had fun with various
landmarks in Malta, Holland, France, Denmark,
Iceland, USA, China and Singapore.
At first Paperboyo funded his own travel, but
now he is so prolific that he’s starting to earn a
living from his art. Travel editors, tourist boards and
commercial brands are paying him to fly round the
world creating new images. In the coming months,
armed with camera, paper and scissors, he’ll be
visiting Paris, Dubai, Los Angeles and San Francisco,
all courtesy of the respective tourist boards.
He says it’s the instant gratification of his photos
that explain his popularity. “Instagram is such a vast
medium. It’s designed for people with attention
deficit. And if your images don’t immediately stand
out, they’re going to be ignored.”
The light-hearted nature of his work appeals,
too. “It’s the sense of humour,” he adds. “The photos
should make you smile… hopefully.”
www.instagram.com/paperboyo
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