Miscellaneous: Meet Bob Brian, the evil alter-ego of paper-cutter Rob Ryan

We’re enormous fans of paper-cutting, screen-printing, ceramic-making extraordinaire Rob Ryan, whose intricate and instantly recognisable work takes a sentimental and sweetly funny view of the world. Still, as Grandmas the world over assure their frustrated grandchildren on a day-to-day basis, “imitation is the highest form of flattery”, and we couldn’t help but suppress a giggle when we saw Bob Brian, Rob’s fictional evil twin created by a collective of illustrators, and his distinctly more miserable alternative vision.

Described by the makers, Graeme McGregor, Lorelei Mathias, Danni Emery and Lauren Taylor, as “a loving pastiche of the beautiful work of Rob Ryan… Papercuts from a world where the glass is well and truly half empty,” the pessimistic philosophies are less about birds, bells and bittersweet melancholy and more about bypasses, adultery and poo. It might not measure up to Rob’s work, but it is guaranteed to make us (and probably him) chuckle.