A.G. Rizzoli: Architect of Magnificent Visions

by Jo Farb Hernandez, John Beardsley, Roger Cardinal

He has been compared to Blake, Piranesi, and Escher, and his imaginative architectural drawings have been described as "the find of the century." Outwardly, he was a recluse who had few companions except for his mother and children in the neighborhood; inwardly, he was the creator of fantastic renderings, including an attempt late in life to transcribe a third testament of the Bible. He is A. G. Rizzoli (1896-1981), visionary artist extraordinaire.
The discovery of Rizzoli's Beaux Arts-style drawings in San Francisco came in 1990, when they were brought to the attention of a keen-eyed dealer. Since that time, Rizzoli has acquired a fame that would astonish this shy, conflicted man. Essays about Rizzoli's life, analyses of his work and writings, and sources of his inspiration are presented in this first-ever survey by scholars John Beardsley, Roger Cardinal, and Jo Farb Hernandez.
A. G. Architect of Magnificent Visions brings together for the first time a dazzling array of works. In addition the book includes a chronology, glossary of terms (for the artist was an acrobatic linguist), and list of pseudonyms and self-referential titles. Today Rizzoli is regarded as one of the most astonishing visionary or outsider artists, with an avid following from California to New York. This book will accompany a major traveling exhibition in the U.S., organized by the San Diego Museum of Art.

Genres: Art, Architecture

136 pages, Hardcover

First published March 28, 1997

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is the official book synopsis:
"Published to accompany a two-year traveling exhibition of A. G. Rizzoli's work, Architect of Magnificent Visions is the exhibition's catalog as well as the definitive study of the life and work of this visionary artist and architect.

Working by day as a humble draftsman in a small San Francisco architecture firm, the reclusive Rizzoli created his extraordinary color-ink renderings of his dream city and other visions in secret during his spare time. His meticulous, highly detailed drawings of Gothic cathedrals, skyscrapers, and domes were intended as symbolic architectural stand-ins for people he knew, particularly his mother, whom he worshipfully depicted as an elaborate fortress.

Hailed by curators as "the find of the century," Rizzoli's drawings were unearthed 10 years after his death. The 94 illustrations reproduced in this beautiful volume, including 36 in full color, as well as the insightful essays by experts in the study of "outsider" art (artwork typically produced by someone untrained in the arts and that is not associated with any particular artistic or cultural movement), interpret Rizzoli's bizarre life and work in ways accessible to both scholars and the general public."


So... this guy Achilles G. Rizzoli created all these architectural portraits - "impressions" of his friends and loved ones... while infusing this incredible spiritual belief system (Y.T.T.E - Yeild To Total Elation)into the sopul of the drawings.

This guy DEFINES outsider art...

an incredible find... LOVE this book!

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent one, with three fascinating essays, and well-executed, crisp color reproductions of some of Rizzoli's most intriguing works. The pieces themselves are bizarre but compelling, showing his family, coworkers, and neighborhood children portrayed as buildings, or consisting of elaborate designs for a sort of heavenly World's Fair. The poetry and prose contained in the works is pretty uniformly terrible -- where the writing of someone like Henry Darger is crude but compelling, like listening to Jandek, or the Shaggs, or Half Japanese, Rizzoli's is more like your cousin's crappy bar band -- but it's interesting to see how he insists on working it into the art. I'd recommend this to anyone with an interest in outsider or visionary art, if you can find a copy.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an absolutely beautiful book that details the life and works of the architectural artist A.G. Rizzoli. With clear and well-written chapters, excellent presentation and many beautiful images of his stunning works, this book is a must for any Rizzoli fan.

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book detailing the life and work of architect turned artist AG Rizzoli.

[Chris Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strange and beautiful soul. Yield to total elation.