Leigh Rigozzi

Degree and Year of Graduation Master of Visual Arts 2007

Related Links

www.workshopshowroom.org
www.noise.net/leighrigozzi

Research and Art Practice

I am a zine artist. My practice mainly involves drawing, writing, and self-publishing zines that contain narratives about my life and literary obsessions. I also produce large-scale print based installations based on my drawing work, usually made from adhesive vinyl, in an attempt to bridge the gap between the gallery and the artist's book. I enjoy attempting to replicate the look of commercial print processes by hand using only the limited resources at my disposal, such as cheap rolls of industrial vinyl from the tip shop and broad-tipped permanent markers.

The subject matter of my work ranges from anecdotes about working as a caretaker at an anglican cathedral to tales of zombies and mummies fraught with existential angst to series of semi-abstract drawings. The connecting line between all my work is an attempt to filter experience through art in order to categorise and make sense of it.

Solo Exhibitions

2008
Below Tree Level, Mount Wellington, Tasmania
2007
The Zine Factory, Penrith Regional gallery (with Miss Helen), Emu Plains
2006
Fumetti, Newspace gallery, Sydney
2005
Bad Habits, Newspace gallery, Sydney
2004
Jonah, Mural, St. Andrew's Cathedral

Group Exhibitions

2007
Folio 20, SCA gallery, Sydney.
2005
SOYA awards, Art Gallery of New South Wales.
20 x 20, EXIT gallery, Sydney.
Year of the Rooster, EXIT gallery, Sydney.
2004
Déjà vu, Jamais vu, Firstdraft gallery, Sydney.
2003 - 2005
The Dark Woods, (as curator) Regional galleries Australia-wide.

Publications

2008
Below Tree Level, fiction novella (with Benny Walter)
2006
Nature Morte, sketchbook diary
Fumetti, comic book, 2006
Things, book of drawings
2005
Jonah chapter two, concertina booklet
Pipe Dream, 24 page comic book
Bad Habits, book of drawings
2004
Tales of Hobartian Life, 12 page comic book
Further Tales of Hobartian Life, 24 page comic book
Te Deum, 24 page comic book
Selected Failure 2001-2004, 24 page comic book
2003
Zombievideo and Other Tales, 24 page comic book
Futile Enterprise, 24 page comic book
Winter Palace, 12 page comic book
2002
Trevally of the Shadow of Death, 12 page comic book
Night Shift, 24 page comic book
2001
Flippin’ Out, 12 page comic book

Awards, significant honours, grants etc

2006
Named one of Australia’s top 25 artists under 25 by Art and Australia magazine and the NOISE festival
2005
Highly commended in Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards

Images: (top to bottom) Leigh Rigozzi; Sick and Tired (detail), Installation with adhesive vinyl, 2005. Smoker, Installation with adhesive vinyl, 2005. Jonah (excerpt), Drawing, 2004. Smoking (from Bad Habits), Drawing, 2005.