James Rizzi.

Rizzi was born in 1950 in a family of Irish and Italian roots in Brooklyn,
New York. He was not a creative leader, but he achieved renown for
its linear, childish style, vivid colors and whimsical images.

For a Volkswagen advertising campaign Rizzi designed 3 VW beetles.

The American pop artist James Rizzi died at the age of 61 years
(26.12.2011) for a heart condition.

His work has been described by the critic Glenn O’Brien as a cross
between Picasso and Hanna-Barbera. Rizzi himself led his idols as
Paul Klee, Jean Dubuffet, Keith Haring, Andy Warhol and Bugs Bunny.

Colorful Rizzi design on a tram in Heilbronn.

He first pursued art as a minor before it became his main field of
study. In his 3 D reliefs he joined sculpture, Graphic design and
painting. Rizzi settled 1975 on Sullivan Street in Soho, the
neighborhood of Manhattan, where he spent the rest of his life.
He painted outdoor art in Brooklyn Heights and Washington Square
and sold pictures outside the museum’s of Modern Art and Metropolitan.
In the same period he created a 45m mural on Eric’s Bar and Grill
in New York, which was demolished along with the building in 1985.

Old and New together, the „Happy Rizzi Haus“ infront of the St.Magni church, Braunschweig.

Rizzi’s reputation was established by his little graphic work.
He developed a knack for eye-catching, quirky and sometimes downright
facile, in Japan Rizzi worked with great success on television.
Movies, puzzle designs, menus, a calendar for a whiskey company and
the cover of a dictionary.

Over 500sqm fantastic designed Dom in „Centro-O mall“ in Oberhausen.

In 1996 he reached his high-profile job as the official artist of the
Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. He created a series of paintings
for the opening ceremony, which are now in the Olympic Museum in
Lausanne Switzerland to see.
The combination of the Olympic spirit and Rizzi’s art were perfect.

Official poster „A Village for the World“ Rizzi’s design for the Atlanta Olympics.

Rizzi: The best Art is a good Heart.

New York may be Rizzi’s main inspiration, but it was Germany that its
continuous creativity and employment, from production of teddy bears,
a boxer robe, the design of the dome of a shopping mall in Oberhausen,
the Happy Rizzi House in Braunschweig and much more forced his succes.

The „Happy Rizzi Haus“ in Braunschweig, a controversial piece of art.

In 1999, he adorned the bodies of three cars in order to promote the
Volkswagen Beetle. He also created the outer look of a Boeing 757.
Moreover, Rizzi was commissioned to create a number of German stamps.

Four sets of Rizzi’s German stamps in the series Europa.

A major achievement was his retrospective in 2008 in Mainz, Rhineland,
containing more than 1000 works and attracted more than 50.000 visitors.
In Rizzi’s special 3D technology, also the here shown „Daddy’s Country
Club“ was born. A serigraph on paper in perfect quality. c. 50x70cm.
Extremely rare – by Rizzi „E/A“ (same as A/P artist proof, German for
Erst-Abzug) original titled and signed!

The original „Daddy’s Country Club“ from 1989.

James Rizzi was honored by a designated school in the city of Duisburg.
Rizzi’s work has often his hometown of New York and its inhabitants as
a theme. The pictures are mostly held by almost childlike naive simplicity
and in very bright colors and radiate happiness, joy and optimism.

Postcard made from the „Daddy’s Country Club“.

In the three dimensional structure characteristic of his art, is a
duplicate of the image. This serves as a background, and the cut out of
the pixels of the foreground and is set on jumpers from foam or similar
materials in a second image plane. This gives the viewer, by the resulting
shadows, a generated 3-D effect.

The „Rizzi Bird“, for Condor Airline designed Boeing 757.

Rizzi was a workhorse and despite the immense number of his works, the
market takes it all down. The vibrant, positive 3D collagen of the artist
still enjoying growing popularity.

You can feel „Rizzi LIVES“.

The first Rizzi books and „Big Apple“ sticker.

His first book „3 D constructions“ (1988) or the gorgeous volume of
„My New York Cookbook“ (1989) are bestsellers and long time sold out.
The sticker „Big Apple“ reflects his 3D work „The Big Apple“ modeled 1984.
A gem and fun to use and read is his book „Christmas Cooking in New York“,
from 1997. Wonderful and enjoyable pictures as well as a CD with 15 famous
Christmas songs adorn this work.

The elegant Christmas cookbook „“Cooking Good Christmas New York“ with CD.

One of the most famous collages by Rizzi, „Taxi“, produced in 1987.
An edition of 250 were produced. The shown one is an original signed sheet
again, „A/P“ – artist proof, original titled and signed by the artist.

The famous 3D work „Taxi“. Rizzi’s often used New York icon.

In both mentioned books you will find a picture of the famous New York „Taxi“ .

James Rizzi in his studio in Soho, New York City, where he lived and worked.

His philosophy of life was :
„The past is history, tomorrow is mystery and today is a gift“.