Psychogeography

London-born and Edinburgh-based artist Callum Russell, having only recently graduated with first-class honours from Edinburgh College of Art, is breaking the urban art mould by combining his passion for contemporary art and unique eye with one of the world’s most ancient and venerated art forms. Armed with a scalpel and a steady hand, Russell finds and exposes the delicate and nuanced battleground between light and dark in everyday scenes. From renowned architectural forms like New York’s Guggenheim to a graffiti covered doorway in Brick Lane, all are equal under Russell’s knife, and all are subject to what he refers to as his ‘reductive violent process’.

When discussing his work, Russell refers to the litany of countries and era’s where papercutting was an integral artistic movement in their culture. Mexican papel-picado (translated directly as ‘confetti’), German Scherenschnitte, and traditional Chinese red paper cutting (jiǎnzhǐ 剪纸 tracing back to 3 BC) all have their place in Russell’s interpretation of the paper cut technique. However, what sets Russell’s paper-cuts aside are perhaps not even his intricate and painstakingly perfected techniques, but his appropriation of an art form designed to create decorative, celebratory pieces.

Russell’s pieces don’t fulfil a practical decorative purpose like more traditional papercuts, instead they themselves are celebrations of the dance of light and dark, unseen compositions in everyday scenes. Nor does he use brightly coloured papers as you might see in Mexican or Chinese paper cuts, but consistently starts with a sheet of black paper, introducing light with his own hand through a series of delicate and precise incisions.

‘Pyschogeography’ ushers in a new style for Russell, as he focuses in on snapshots of the everyday industrial lives of the city dweller. Exploring theorist Guy Debord’s self-coined term ‘Psychogeography’, Russell takes the idea of the flaneur, a city-wanderer and observing stroller, taking in the scenes of city life that the average busy traveller might miss. Psychogeography is the study of how our surroundings affect us, and of the impact of our industrial jungles on city-dwellers psyche. Russell utilises snapshot like compositions of landmark buildings, tube stations and architectural phenomena,  and combines them with his meticulous and intricate papercut technique. He creates a thoughtful and impacting juxtaposition between the blink-and-youll-miss-it glance-like composition and the purposeful and laborious paper cut works that sets his work aside from any other on the urban art scene today.

This Summer, Nelly Duff will be showcasing not only Russel’s original pieces, but also new and exclusive printed limited editions – so join us this July to immerse yourselves into Russell’s precise and perfect monochromatic world.

Limited editions releasing:

‘Westbourne Park’

Edition size: 50

Size: 30.5cm x 38cm

Medium: Two colour (sealing clear coat water based base and enamel gloss) hand pulled screen print

Special release price: £65

‘Olympic Stadium’

Edition size: 50

Size: 30.5cm x 38cm

Medium: Two colour (sealing clear coat water based base and enamel gloss) hand pulled screen print

Special release price: £65