Rob Ryan Studio Placement

For the last two weeks of Unit X (30^th April – 10^th May), I have been on placement at Rob Ryan studio in London. This has been a fantastic insight into working in a professional creative studio.

'I WANT TO GET CLOSER TO YOU' Rob Ryan, 2016 http://robryanstudio.com/archive/i-want-to-get-closer-to-you/

'I LIE IN MY BED ALL DAY' Rob Ryan, 2016 http://robryanstudio.com/archive/i-lie-in-my-bed-all-day/ Examples of some of Rob Ryan's paper cut artwork from his website: www.robryanstudio.com.

Rob Ryan specialises in making intricately detailed paper cut designs incorporating text and imagery, to create fairy-tale like pieces. Each artwork is hand-drawn and cut out of paper, and is then applied to all manner of surfaces, including ceramics, textiles, glassware and screen-printed pieces, to name a few. Rob is also a renowned author and illustrator, using his combination of detailed pictures and evocative writing to create immersive and beautifully presented stories.

I have enjoyed a busy and insightful time at the studio. I spent time generally helping around the studio, doing tasks such as packaging products like champagne glasses and scarves, making badges and cutting down mountboard, but have also been able to assist Rob with some paper cutting. I was absolutely thrilled to be asked to do this, as I love paper cutting and use it a lot in my practice. It was quite nervewracking to begin with, as I was anxious not to make any mistakes or accidently cut through the wrong lines, especially as some of these cut outs were for collages for an upcoming exhibition. However I soon got the hang of it and began to really enjoy it. Rob Ryan has been one of the major inspirations behind my work and I have been drawn to his style for years so to have the opportunity to work with him in his studio has been fantastic.

As a print design specialist, I thought it would be particularly appropriate to seek a placement at Rob Ryan, a trained printmaker himself. Seeing the process of the inception of a design through to completion as a product has been useful in highlighting how long things can take, and how often it takes several attempts before a final product is just right. Along with the creative side of the business, it was especially helpful to discover more about the administrative aspects. Working in the studio with Rob and his assistants Sarah and Daisy, I got an understanding of the level of business acumen needed to run a creative company successfully. I was surprised by the number of emails and phone calls made daily, and how large a part of the day-to-day work this constitutes.

One of my favourite things about Ryan’s work is the way that it can appear light-hearted and simple, but is actually full of depth and emotion. I think it shows that you don’t have to be shocking to be thought-provoking, and that the media of art and illustration can be powerful tools for addressing difficult issues.

As well as paper cutting, during my placement I have assisted with applying transfers (or decals) to glasses, to then be fired, sealing the designs in place. This involved cutting out designs specially printed onto decal paper, then soaking them in water and carefully placing the decal on the glass, smoothing them gently to remove any air bubbles which could cause them to shatter during the firing process. My daily tasks varied from creative involvement to washing up, but I have left with a thorough understanding of the running of a creative business. I am so pleased to have been able to get hands-on in the studio and really feel like part of the team; everyone was so welcoming and friendly. Two weeks has flown by and I am sad to be leaving, but am more inspired than ever to evolve my own style and immerse myself in creativity, (especially music which provided a motivating soundtrack to the studio each day) to develop my work into third year.