Lot 692 | James Rizzi | "Let's Take a Trip to the Tropics"

RIZZI, JAMES
New York 1950 - 2011

Title: "Let's Take a Trip to the Tropics".
Date: 2009.
Technique: Acrylic on canvas.
Measurement: 150 x 182cm.
Notation: Signed and dated lower right: JAMES RIZZI 2009. Additionally titled, signed and dated verso on the stretcher frame: LETS TAKE A TRIP TO THE TROPICS JAMES RIZZI 2009.
Frame/Pedestal: Framed.

Provenance:
- AIDA Cruises, Rostock
- Private collection North Rhine-Westphalia (acquired from the previous in 2015)

- James Rizzi is one of the best-known contemporary Pop Art artists
- Distinctive, colourful visual language
- Large-format work with the typical dense and lively scenery

James Rizzi is one of the most popular contemporary representatives of Pop Art. Born in Brooklyn, the artist studied art at the University of Florida in Gainesville until 1974 and was able to present his works at the renowned Brooklyn Museum in New York shortly after graduating - alongside works by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. His unique style, shaped by the influences of Jean Dubuffet, Pablo Picasso and Friedensreich Hundertwasser, developed over the years into an unmistakable, colourful visual language. With his detailed, lively works, he succeeds in creating his very own artistic world - a world full of joy, energy and optimism.
The work shown here, 'Let's Take a Trip to the Tropics' from 2009, is an impressive example of Rizzi's unmistakable signature style. With its vibrant colours and dynamic shapes, it invites the viewer on a journey to a tropical dreamscape. Palm trees, exotic animals and cheerful figures cavort in a lively scene. The tropical backdrop not only becomes a motif, but also an expression of an attitude to life: a carefree, sunny world in which diversity and harmony reign.
Rizzi's works are characterised by a seemingly childlike, naïve perspective, which in reality reveals a deep understanding of togetherness and the beauty of everyday life. His pictorial worlds follow a clear composition that retains a playful lightness despite the abundance of detail. This harmonious balance also unfolds in the present work: the figures and landscape elements combine to form a colourful, vibrant backdrop that is characterised by its delight in detail and constantly draws the viewer's gaze to new small discoveries.