on the cover


PUBLISHER Jay S. Jones jay@ragemonthly.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Brad L. Hart brad@ragemonthly.com EDITOR IN CHIEF Joel P. Martens joel@ragemonthly.com ART DIRECTOR Cesar A. Reyes cesar@ragemonthly.com COPY EDITOR Bill Biss INTERN Korie Houston DISTRIBUTION Pride In Media


ADVERTISE WITH US artist donald rizzo


“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.”


—Albert Einstein March is our annual Art Issue and, in my


search to compile relevant topics, I am usually reminded of how much of the world’s creative genius surrounds us…And how often it goes unnoticed. It all gets lost to the endless bloviat- ing emanating from my television, social media feed and computer, as they drone negativity and ramble on about who did what awful thing to whom and the latest horror that has seized our consciousness. Thankfully, there is respite from such things. I personally find it on the beach or hiking a trail, in a great book or hanging on the walls of galleries, museums and, well, a whole lot of places if you really take the time to look. Now, I’m not saying that art solves all the world’s problems, but it does often make us think about them in a different way… And isn’t that the point? Stand before Monet’s masterful Water Lilies series, and I bet you’ll be calmed, look up at the ceiling of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and I dare you not to be awed by its glory. I usually include the hunt for a cover concept


that reflects the inner workings of the magazine. For the Art Issue, we chose Donald Rizzo’s compelling works because not only are they beautiful, they haunt the senses, compelling you to investigate them more deeply. It does what art does, it draws you in, makes you want to discover more and define your personal experience of what it is. Rizzo’s comment about his works sum up


the experience beautifully. “Art is the activity that occurs in the space that exists between a viewer’s eyes and the object I’ve created. It is the


6 RAGE monthly | MARCH 2018


interaction between the collective experiences in your brain as you process the way I have chosen to express the collective experiences in my brain. It is only when this exchange takes place that my work becomes Art.” Here is his artist’s bio: “Donald Rizzo is an


artist who sees the world through fragments; fragments of color, fragments of memory, frag- ments of space, and fragments of who people really are. His works are kaleidoscopic visions of vibrant color which stem from his dark personal experience dealing with depression with psychotic symptoms. Donald is nothing short of being his truest self and showcasing his unique eye that allows his viewers to create their own reality of what they see in his images.” Rizzo fascinatingly sees his work in frag-


ments, we asked him to explain what that means and how it informs his work. “I refer to this style as Ambiguous Delusions. I wanted to bring the viewer into the painting. By painting distinct shapes of color, the viewers subconscience and conscience mind have to deconstruct and reconstruct the fragments of color into something the viewer recognized,” he said. “It is the viewer that blends the color, not the artist. The viewer brings to this process their own perspective, their life experiences and history… Each viewer sees the image differently.” Bravissimo, Mr. Rizzo.


Joel Martens,Editor in Chief


Donald Rizzo’s work is broad, varied…And prolific. For more information or to purchase Rizzo’s work, go todonald-rizzo.com.


619.255.0389/sales@ragemonthly.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Kevin Plautz - kevin@ragemonthly.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING REP Rivendell Media 212.242.6863


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CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Beth Biggs, Dennis Covey, Wander Aguiar, Jay Jones, Joel Martens, David Quintanilla Kimberly Rae and Lukas Volk


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Rage Magazine dba The Rage Monthly. The Rage Monthly is a registered trademark. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publishers or staff. Reproduction of any article, photo, listing or advertise- ment without the written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. The people, businesses and organiza- tions appearing in The Rage Monthly are supportive of the gay community. Mentions or photographs of any person, business, or organization are not a reflection of their sexual orientation. The Rage Monthly is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, sex, color, religion, creed, national origin, dis- ability, sexual orientation or gender identity.


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