James Rizzi, while studying Fine Arts at the University of Florida at Gainesville, Florida, came up with the idea of 3D multiples now mostly associated with his name. Having taken classes in painting, printmaking and sculpture, he had to hand in grade work for all three subjects, but only had time for doing one. He created an etching, printed it twice, hand colored it, and mounted parts of the one print on top of the other, using wire as a means of adding depth. Having received good grades from all three teachers, he stuck with the idea and developed it further.

Rizzi is most famous for his 3D artwork, "especially the large, elaborate prints and teeming anthropomorphic cityscapes. His merry maximalism and delight in delirious detail and elaborate minutiae create a true art brand, a trademark style as recognizable as any in the world". Recently, he has also returned to painting.

Colorful and spirited, James Rizzi's work displays the artist's fascination with contemporary urban themes. His three-dimensional constructions have been acclaimed for their bold and detailed portrayals of everyday people and places.

His "latest paintings combine his Picasso meets Hanna-Barbera drawing style with an increasingly chromatic palette and a complex graphic structure that simultaneously evokes cubism and the most sophisticated Amerindian friezes."

Duplicate images, carefully cut out and attached, each one above its counterpart, create richly textured editions through a truly striking use of traditional printmaking techniques. Since his 1974 debut in The Brooklyn Museum's ongoing series of print exhibitions, James Rizzi has been honored with one-person shows throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. 
A true innovator, James Rizzi articulates through his art, the influences and emotions experienced by us all. He is a universal artist who has found an enthusiastic following throughout the world.

Charity Projects

1. James J. Rizzi Scholarship Fund - The James J. Rizzi Scholarship Fund for the School of Art at the University of Florida.
2. RTL Spendenmarathon - Design of logo for German television children's charity.
3. SWR Herzenssache - Donation of artwork for German radio children's charity.
4. Gone with the wind Charity - Donation of a complete edition of artwork to the German Lions Club Krefeld Rheintor.
5. Peter Maffay: Encounters - an alliance for children - Cooperation with Peter Maffay for his children's charity "Encounters" and the Lakota Circle School in South Dakota

(Quotes from Glenn O'Brien, Foreword to "James Rizzi", 2006, with kind permission of the publisher).