R.I.P. El Pizzo

Very Sad news I just found out about The Pizz...
Going to miss seeing new art from you so much.. True inspiration..
Aloha Pizz.. :(

"TikiPop" On Instagram

[ Edited by: Beachbumz 2015-08-31 00:42 ]

I was going to post this when I found out some more info
I knew the Pizz, hung out a bit in Long Beach & vended with him, I liked him!
my condolences go out to his wife Yuki & his family, The world will be a less interesting place without him.

Here is a nice recent interview: http://www.colorinkbook.com/interview-with-the-pizz/

Condolences to his family. The art word has a hole in it today.
I'm shattered, I was looking forward to see him at the Ventura Nationals this coming weekend. I always made a point to add a piece of his art to my collection and talk with him.

Tiki Farm as we know it will never be the same again without my tight bro and art director, The Pizz. There is a numbing effect here today and we are all very saddened. I am a mess but I must keep my chin-up and be strong for the crew. Please anybody that has any kind words, don't hesitate in posting them up here. Pizz always liked a good chuckle so if there's any moments of levity from your mutual pasts, by all means share. RIP Ol' Bean... I miss you more than words can say.

This morning I was looking at my tiki mug collection and so many of them had been designed by The Pizz. He had a range of styles and I liked his creativity.
I am sorry for the loss of a friend and family member of so many.

Last Year Bamboo Ben had posted this picture of The Pizz and Von Franco. I do not know either person, but the picture has always stayed in my memory.

-Lori

[ Edited by: tikilongbeach 2015-08-31 10:38 ]

Will have to pull down my Wild Watusi mug and mix the drink this evening in memory. Only ever chit chated a handful of times, but I have many friends out west that knew him well and have been outspoken today relating stories and kind words.

[ Edited by: Freeland 2015-08-31 15:01 ]

On 2015-08-31 09:57, MakeDaMug wrote:
Tiki Farm as we know it will never be the same again without my tight bro and art director, The Pizz. There is a numbing effect here today and we are all very saddened. I am a mess but I must keep my chin-up and be strong for the crew. Please anybody that has any kind words, don't hesitate in posting them up here. Pizz always liked a good chuckle so if there's any moments of levity from your mutual pasts, by all means share. RIP Ol' Bean... I miss you more than words can say.

Sorry for your loss Holden and Tiki Farm and everyone else. PIZZ was a cool dude and an awesome artist. I'm not sure if it's time for stories yet but too bad.

Surf Beat Art Show... date I forgot. Pizz, Greg Escalante and Sandow Birk show up and hang out. Pizz says " Hey Ben. What do you have in the show?

I said, Piss Fink! Pizz says, what's that?!? I bring him over to the piece to show him and he completely lost it!!! Laughed for an hour! No joke! It was an

instant bonding even

though we seldom saw each other.

You will be missed PIZZ! RIP!!!

Bamboo Ben
Custom Tropical Decor
I build Tiki Rooms for you! Just ask around :wink:
https://www.facebook.com/bamboo.ben

[ Edited by: RevBambooBen 2015-08-31 20:29 ]

Love and Light to you, Holden, as you deal with the loss of your dear friend. Love and Light to Yukie, and to all that love him. Pizz was a sweet, sweet man. He will be missed by many, myself included.

Condolences to the family and friends...RIP and decorate the next would with you wonderful art.

Aloha Tiki Tribe…
I heard that the PIZZ is dead. And today I heard how. I am in shock. I'm a fan of his work. He was one of the reasons I had the courage to pick up a paint brush and become a Low-Brow Artist. I only knew him through a couple of e-mails. However, I was very happy & proud to be in the same "Low-Brow-Art Movement" with him.

He was a counter culture hero for me. His cool "look" - it's why I wear a hat and dark glasses …even inside, at night. The PIZZ was what I thought a Low-Brow Artist was supposed to look like. His was so very talented, his art is amazing, and he was one of the artists that I aspire to be like. Ken Ruzic and I saw his work hanging in the Long Beach museum at the big Low-Brow Art Show. How can talent like that not be enough to get you through life? This is very hard news, it's like hearing that Superman or Batman just could not take it any longer, and ended it. What does that mean for us mere mortals? Damn. Life is a struggle. The reasons and answers to all this are so hard to grasp some times. Perhaps they will come in time.
A hui Hou aku, PIZZ

Brad "Tiki-Shark" Parker

tikishark.com
ALOHA, RAWK ON, & Be MOST EXCELLENT to Each Other!

[ Edited by: tiki shark art 2015-11-11 02:36 ]

Press Telegram: Farewell to the Pizz

We met him a few years ago at Don the beachcomber (When it was Sam's) and he was kind enough to give us a tour of his cool house and garage in Long Beach showing all his artwork and cars, and then a couple of years later we met him again at Tiki Farm designing a mug, A great guy to give some time to strangers and a sad loss to the art world

Ah Hell. It helps to see all the kind words about the passing of this gentle giant of contemporary art. Pizz had such a gruff, taciturn persona that I was shocked to find out what an amazing intelligent, learned and generous man he was. I was never really that close to him. We didn't hang out much outside of all the shows we have done together this past decade. But I always valued the generous wisdom and art direction he shared with me. This is so hard. Like Brad shared, Pizz was on of the guys who inspired me to paint again after my 15 years away. Pizz did for art what The Ramones did for music. His seemingly crude artwork style (what he called cartoon brute) belied his brilliant unique tehnique and wildly creative subject matter. But like the Ramones, his deceptively raw delivery made us feel like we could do it too. The Pizz will live in zen through the legions of artists he inspired. God Speed Pizz. #Ozymandias

[ Edited by: BigToe 2015-09-03 02:06 ]

This sad news really hit me like an uppercut to the jaw. The Pizz was one of the first "lowbrow" artists I met sometime around 98 or 99, and meeting him was kind of a touchstone for some of my longtime interests. I forget how I first saw his work, but I'd sent him a note about a poster (back then it was regular mail), and he sent back some stuff and a great illustrated envelope that I totally remember. That led to a visit at his place, and I was blown away by his work and also some of his collections. He was the first person I met with a CocoJoes collection. He was generous with his time and just friendly and cool to someone he barely knew.

I also vividly remember he had a big beautiful revolver right square on his desk above the painting he was working on. Maybe it sounds weird to say beautiful, but that's just how it struck me, in the atmosphere of his studio. I don't think it was a reference piece for anything, I kinda just assumed he liked having it there. Sometime later I thought maybe it was to sort of spook visitors, as part of the vibe in his studio - when you're there you get a sense of this darkness mixed in with his humor and sense of style. Really, the same vibe is in his paintings. Maybe The Pizz himself had some darkness that spooked him and it's all connected somehow. But I'm sorry for him and those who were close to him.

I've seen The Pizz at tiki events over the years since then from time to time, and even exchanged some anonymous words sometimes, but never kinda reintroduced myself as that kid who visited back then. With that inscrutable exterior, I kinda figured he wouldn't remember me. But I remember him, and always will.

-Randy

Sad news, for sure. The Kustom Kulture & Tiki communities have lost a true original.
Aloha, Pizz!

From Greg Escalante via Facebook.

Bamboo Ben
Custom Tropical Decor
I build Tiki Rooms for you! Just ask around :wink:
https://www.facebook.com/bamboo.ben

[ Edited by: RevBambooBen 2015-09-07 06:41 ]

favorites

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2015-09-07 21:29 ]

May he ride eternal. Shiny and Chrome.

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2015-11-11 02:46 ]

bump