James Rizzi (1950-2011) - The World Will Be Watching

James Rizzi "THE WORLD WILL BE WATCHING" — A Rare 3D Silkscreen from the 1998 FIFA World Cup Year
This vibrant and collectible 3D silkscreen by American pop art icon James Rizzi captures the global spirit of the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, the very year Rizzi served as the official artist of the tournament appointed by FIFA. The title THE WORLD WILL BE WATCHING perfectly encapsulates the worldwide anticipation surrounding the event, and Rizzi translates that energy into his signature kaleidoscopic visual language.
The composition features a dynamic world map filled with joyful figures playing football, rendered in Rizzi's beloved style of bold outlines, vivid contrasting colors, and irresistibly cheerful characters. The piece exemplifies his patented 3D technique — hand-colored silkscreen prints with carefully cut and foam-mounted layered elements — which gives the artwork a tangible sense of depth and movement that rewards close inspection.
This is a limited edition work, numbered 83/250, and bears Rizzi's original hand-written signature. It is presented in a quality frame. A superb piece for collectors of pop art, football memorabilia, or lovers of New York's downtown art scene.

Size
Height: 57 cm
Width: 68.5 cm

Framed:
Height: 81 cm
Width: 92.5 cm

Condition
The artwork and frame are in good condition with no notable scratches or stains.

Artist Profile
James Rizzi (1950–2011) was an American pop artist born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, of Irish and Italian heritage. He studied art at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he pioneered his unique 3D printmaking technique — creating a silkscreen print, hand-coloring it, then affixing foam-mounted cutouts to produce a layered, three-dimensional work that merged printmaking, painting, and sculpture.
Settling in SoHo, Manhattan in 1975, Rizzi quickly gained international recognition for his childlike yet sophisticated imagery, particularly his beloved anthropomorphic cityscapes of New York. His career highlights include serving as the official artist of the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, the 1997 Montreux Jazz Festival, the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, and — critically for this work — the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. He also designed the iconic "Happy Rizzi House" building facade in Braunschweig, Germany, and painted a Boeing 757 for Condor Airlines. His work achieved particular popularity in Germany and Japan.


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