ames Rizzi (1950-2011) was an American pop artist born on October 5, 1950 in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he first developed his unique style of 3D printmaking. In 1975, Rizzi moved to the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan and began selling his art at outdoor markets in Washington square and elsewhere around the city. His work eventually achieved worldwide popularity, especially in Germany and Japan. Over the course of his career, James Rizzi was invited to create designs for many influential projects, including a series of china for Rosenthal, a limited edition NYC metro card, a series of German postage stamps, three New Beetles for Volkswagen, the shell of a Boeing 757, and many more. His most high profile commission came in 1996, when James Rizzi was the official artist of the Olympic summer games in Atlanta, Georgia, and created a series of paintings which were displayed during the opening ceremony. Rizzi died on December 26, 2011 in New York City at age 61 from a heart condition. He was remembered by friends and family as an outgoing and optimistic man. Excellent