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This piece is one of my favorite finds of 2005! Bob Rizzo is a sculptor, painter and photographer in Providence Rhode Island, and he and his wife Karen own a gallery called "Over the Top". Bob is a fellow African Art collector, and many of his sculptures have an African influence to them. Quite a few of them are based upon the influence of the Kongo nkisi figures, as with the one that I purchased from him below. Additional information and links to their gallery are below the photos of the piece I bought from him. |
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Bob Rizzo in his gallery with "The Collector" on the left |
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Below is some information on some of my favorite sculptures in their gallery called "The Spirits" and also links and information on their gallery. When you go to their gallery website, make sure to check out the "influences" page. There are many wonderful pieces on their gallery website so check it out! |
The pieces below are on loan to the Fuller Craft Museum for an exhibit called "Trashformations East" CLICK HERE for a new article I just put on my site about Bob Rizzo and the exhibit that was in the Providence Journal. |
The Spirits 1997-2004 (mixed media) 3 figures each approx. 64” x 18” x 10” On extended loan to Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA Trashformations East, January 15 - May 1, 2005 Trashformations features work by artists who use found objects or recycled materials in unique ways. Works include anything from soda cans to cardboard, trash bags to toilet paper, and all kinds of salvaged glass, metal and wood. The exhibition is curated by Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery, and one of the foremost authorities on America's contemporary craft movement. Trashformations is dedicated to Jennifer L. Atkinson, former director of Fuller Craft Museum. The “The Spirits” were made over a period of seven years. Each figure of the three figures consist of a collection of items I have found on the street, in the woods, in junk shops (before they became antique shops) and/or are gifts from friends or casual acquaintances that have seen the work and feel compelled to donate something. Each item, each bead, each bone, each coin, each feather, tells a story; they recall walks, adventures, gifts given, things simply found cast away by others. They have become records, a story never really finished, always in need of another chapter, always in need of just one more... Why the nails, quills in the heads? While making "The Spirits" I began to use them as a way to drive away bad energy that was entering my life…they became protectors… the nails in the heads were an attempt to drive out evil thoughts… not sure it worked but my headaches went away… Mixed media; including feathers, wood, seed beads, wood beads, silver beads, ceramic beads, coins, leather scraps, handmade nails, antique hat forms, wooden boxes, glass bottles, African & American porcupine quills, buffalo fur, horns & teeth, animal bones, wax, cast iron, tin, lead, silver, clay, old jewelry, harness parts, duck decoy heads, tin & cast medal badges, carved wood, old tools, antique sleigh bells, cotton, paint, medicine bags, chair legs, scrap metal, glass bottles, brass bells, spice drying racks, sea shells, stones, manikin parts, antique bank figure, antique lock, brass horn, carved wood birds …. |
Over The Top Gallery We are located in the historic Arcade in Downtown Providence, 65 Weybosset Street, # 49 on the second floor. The gallery features my paintings, sculptures, drawings, shrines, and tribally influenced beaded jewelry. Currently we are also exhibiting the wonderful collage work and beaded jewelry of fellow Rhode Island artist Barbieo Barros Gizzi. The gallery also carries items that we, my wife Karen and I, collect and sell. These items range from African sculpture to unique instruments, ethnic (tribal) jewelry, and other things we've picked up in our travels. Please stop by ! We think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the wide range of items on exhibit. Send us an email and we'll keep you posted on new additions to the site and gallery. mailto:overthetopgallery@verizon.net Drop by often, Bob Rizzo We're open Tuesday-Friday 11 AM - 4 PM Please call (401) 276-0008 or by appointment 401-265-5051 |
Here are some links to their gallery: Main Page Sculptures If you contact Bob or Karen, please tell them that you found out about their gallery from my website. |
Rand African Art home page |
This object will be in the exhibition "Collectors Collect - Works from Denver Private Collections" from October 9th 2006 to January 5th, 2007 |
"Like a contemporary shaman, Bob Rizzo takes found objects and gives them new life ..." Michael Cochran, Artsmedia Magazine, Nov. 04, Boton, MA |
A photo taken at the opening reception of the exhibition |