A familiar monument, a small piece of black paper and a very well-chosen position: that is enough to turn a travel photograph into a visual joke. Rich McCor, the artist known as Paperboyo, makes landmarks participate in scenes that were never part of the architect’s plan.

The pleasure comes from the second look. First you recognise the place. Then your eye notices the paper shape and the whole scene changes. The photographs are playful interpretations of real settings, not records of objects actually installed there.

Paperboyo holds a black figure cutout aligned with a Paris landmark
Paperboyo holds a black figure cutout aligned with a Paris landmark. Gallery attribution: Rich McCor / Paperboyo.

Meet the artist behind the cutouts

McCor’s early travel images circulated widely in 2015, including the selection featured in this article’s original version. His name is Rich McCor; the old text’s spelling of Rick was incorrect. You can follow the artist through Paperboyo’s account rather than relying on a decade-old follower count.

In a 2018 interview with Traverse, McCor describes bringing his interest in paper craft into photography. A landmark becomes a prop, while the hand holding the cutout often remains visible. That visible hand is part of the fun: the viewer is invited to understand the trick.

Why the illusion works

The cutout is close to the camera and the building or statue is much farther away. From the chosen viewpoint, their edges line up and appear to belong to a single scene. Move the camera slightly and the relationship falls apart.

Scale is therefore something the photograph constructs. A tiny silhouette can appear to match a huge building because both occupy the right amount of space in the frame. Strong outlines help the idea read quickly, even on a small screen.

Try a five-minute version on your next walk

Start with a simple shape made at home: a moon, a small boat or a speech bubble. There is no need to reproduce one of McCor’s designs. Look for an everyday setting that gives your shape a new role, such as a railing, a fountain seen from a public path or a cloud above a roof.

Paper cutout positioned beside the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen
Paper cutout positioned beside the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen. Gallery attribution: Rich McCor / Paperboyo.

Hold the paper away from the landmark and adjust your own position. Take one picture that shows the surroundings and another that makes the alignment clear. Compare them: does the joke still work without an explanation? If it needs a long caption, simplify the shape or try a different angle.

Keep the cutout in your hand, leave entrances clear and take the paper home with you. The idea depends on a viewpoint, not on attaching anything to a monument.

Look for a new relationship, not a new landmark

This is a useful antidote to chasing the exact photograph everyone else has taken. You can be creative on the street where you live, with equipment already in your pocket.

For more ways artists transform familiar places, explore Ed Fairburn’s portraits on maps and Trina Merry’s painted illusions. Each begins with careful observation, then gives the viewer a delightful reason to look again.