A Cut Above

PAUL CATHERALL s linocuts of landmarks are almost as iconic as the buildings themselves. ROSEMARY WAUGH explores his process.

- Rosemary Waugh

When asked why he chose to turn London’s iconic Modernist landmarks into boldly coloured prints, Paul Catherall says, “I think they always felt a bit like home to me.” The Coventry-born artist is one of the most popular printmakers working in Britain. With a commission for TfL under his belt and a solid reputation among art-loving Londoners, his works will likely be familiar to you, even if you don’t recognise his name.

Although more recent additions to the London skyline, such as The Gherkin, have found their way into his compositions, Catherall is best known for capturing Brutalist and Modernist buildings such as the Barbican and National Theatre. Raised in a city famous for its post-war reconstruction, the printmaker credits his affinity with this type of architecture as a subconscious drive (“I do like a good bit of concrete,” he claims).

Yet he didn’t start out looking to be associated with this famously Marmite – love it or hate it – form of design. In fact, if there was a conscious thought, it was related to how well the striking, clean shapes of the Hayward Gallery and others translated into linocut printing. “They’re already divided into nice, strong shapes,” he explains. “So it became the perfect subject matter.”

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