Piecing it together: Daytrip to Morro Bay for paper cutting art

Two years ago, lab assistant Ryan Carroll didn't even know what paper cutting was.

Carroll did grow up crafting origami creations of everything from geometric shapes to animals. So when he stumbled across the art of paper cutting (which has roots going back to sixth century China) on Instagram while in between jobs, he was intrigued.

click to enlarge Piecing it together: Daytrip to Morro Bay for paper cutting art
PHOTO COURTESY OF GALLERY AT MARINA SQUARE
THE ROCK: Pieces like 'Morro Rock' can take paper-cutting artist Ryan Carroll anywhere from 10 to 50 hours to complete.

Fast forward to the present, and the 20-something Allan Hancock College lab assistant/self-taught artist has been showing his work at art fairs and galleries for about a year. The Pismo Beach-based Carroll's first solo show is currently on display at the Gallery at Marina Square in Morro Bay.

"It was really just a hobby," Carroll said. "It was something I would do after work to decompress."

Carroll started out making paper renditions of his favorite music album covers, like the Shins and A Tribe Called Quest, looking for pieces with sharp, contrasting colors, so the paper pieces would really pop. His work now includes scenic depictions of Morro Rock, a Tokyo street, and complex geometric shapes. His piece Morro Rock layers shades of brown, green, blue, and white paper. The result is a scene that seems so windy, you can almost feel the chill of the bay when you look at it.

click to enlarge Piecing it together: Daytrip to Morro Bay for paper cutting art
PHOTO COURTESY OF GALLERY AT MARINA SQUARE
EYE CATCHING: The bold colors in Ryan Carroll’s piece 'Catseyes' stand out against a black background.

These days Carroll free hands his own stencil designs and also uses software called Blender. Next come hours and hours of cutting paper with an X-ACTO knife (he goes through up to 10 blades per project) and a cutting mat.

Carroll selects a background color for the piece and problem solves to layer each piece of paper just so. It's not unusual for Carroll to binge-work on a project one weekend. Each piece can take anywhere from 10 to 50 hours to complete from design to finish.

"I love paper," Carroll said. "There's lots of possibilities and it's something you don't see normally."

The former chemical biology major also seeks to adapt science into art, looking to make things like protein structures and insulin into eye-catching paper pieces.

Piecing it together: Daytrip to Morro Bay for paper cutting art
PAPER CUTS: Fine Art Paper Cutting by Ryan Carroll will be on display at Gallery at Marina Square in Morro Bay through Feb. 27, but a smaller amount of his work will remain on display permanently. All pieces are for sale and range from $100 to $1,000. Visit galleryatmarinasquare.com for more information. For more of the artist’s work, check out @ryancarroll88 on Instagram.

"I want to give a perspective on these tiny, microscopic structures that people can't see," he said.

Ultimately, Carroll hopes that people walk away from his art with an appreciation for an under-recognized art form.

"I want to give people an appreciation for details," he said.

Ryah Cooley is trying not to get a paper cut as the arts editor at the Sun's sister paper to the north, New Times. Contact her through Managing Editor Joe Payne at [email protected].

click to enlarge Piecing it together: Daytrip to Morro Bay for paper cutting art
PHOTO COURTESY OF GALLERY AT MARINA SQUARE
PAPER MASTER: Pismo Beach-based artist Ryan Carroll has been working with paper cutting for the past two years.

click to enlarge Piecing it together: Daytrip to Morro Bay for paper cutting art
PHOTO COURTESY OF GALLERY AT MARINA SQUARE
STREETS OF TOKYO: The contrasting colors in Ryan Carroll’s 'Late Autumn, Tokyo Alley' make the piece pop and give it a three-dimensional feel.�

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