Jim Riswold Explained

Jim Riswold (December 7, 1957 – August 9, 2024) was an American creative director for the advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy and a contemporary artist.

Early life

Riswold was born in Seattle, Washington, on December 7, 1957, to Paul (died 2017) and Paularose (nee James) Riswold.[1] [2] [3] He grew up in Seattle with his parents where his father worked for Boeing, along with his two younger sisters, Marilee and Sheila.[1] [3] After graduation from Ingraham High School, Riswold attended the University of Washington in Seattle from 1976 to 1983. There he received three bachelor's degrees in communications, philosophy and history.[4]

Career

After graduating from college, he worked briefly for an advertising company in Seattle.[3] He was hired at Wieden+Kennedy in Portland, Oregon, during the ad agency's early years as its first copywriter hire in 1984, supervising the Honda Motor Co. account.[5] In his 14 years at Wieden+Kennedy, he created advertising campaigns such as the Mars Blackmon (Spike Lee), Michael Jordan commercials for Nike as well as the famous Bugs Bunny–Jordan pairing.[6] He also created the "Bo Knows" campaign for Nike featuring Bo Jackson,[7] [8] and the Tiger Woods commercial, entitled "I Am Tiger Woods".[9]

In 2013, Riswold was inducted into The One Club's Creative Hall of Fame.[10] [11]

Art

After being diagnosed with leukemia in 2000 and surviving for five years, Riswold quit advertising to become a full-time contemporary artist.[12] He went from "a career of selling people things they don't need to making things that people don't want".[13]

Riswold's photographs have been shown in galleries throughout the Northwest and hang in the permanent collections of several museums.[14] Most of his works poke fun at historically taboo figures such as Mao Zedong, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini by constructing monumental setting in which the figurines were photographer. Riswold explained in his 2005 Esquire article, "Hitler Saved My Life"[15] that "Instead of providing […] grand expositions mythologizing the dictator, toys, by definition, make their subjects seem small, childish, and trifling."[16]

Death

Riswold died August 9, 2024, at the age of 66 at his home in Portland of interstitial lung disease.[2]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Paul Ordell Riswold . Dignity Memorial . 14 August 2024.
  2. Web site: Jim Riswold dies at 67 . Alison . Weissbrot . August 12, 2024 . CampaignLive.com . August 12, 2024.
  3. Web site: Goldrich . Robert . Jim Riswold, W+K’s Stalwart Writer On Breakthrough Nike Work, Dies At 66 . SHOOTonline . 14 August 2024 . August 13, 2024.
  4. Web site: So What Good Is Studying Philosophy: You Want To Be A What? . University of Washington Philosophy Department . Jim. Riswold . Jim Riswold. UW (University of Washington) 1976–1983. Majored in Communications, Philosophy, and History . Autumn 2001 . September 22, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100528132604/http://bellevuecollege.edu/philosophy/comments.htm . May 28, 2010 .
  5. Web site: Riswold goes from 'idiot savant' to reinventor to retired artist . Randall. Rothenberg . . January 30, 2006 . Riswold, 48, has been creating art for years-at least since the day in late 1984 when he walked into a presentation for the Honda scooters advertising account.
  6. Riswold. Jim. Meet the Man Who Introduced Michael Jordan to Bugs Bunny. June 18, 2020. Complex.com. Mike DeStefano. July 31, 2024.
  7. News: Eisenberg. Jeff. Iconic Sports Commercials: Bo Knows. July 17, 2019. Yahoo! Sports. July 31, 2024.
  8. News: Wollenberg. Skip. In latest ad, Nike knows the more Bo, the better. July 30, 1990. Tampa Bay Times. July 31, 2024.
  9. News: Broadbent. Rick. Tiger Woods, Nike and the deal that changed sport for ever. subscription. April 5, 2024. The Times. http://web.archive.org/web/20240607230353/https://www.thetimes.com/sport/golf/article/tiger-woods-nike-and-the-deal-that-changed-sport-for-ever-gw5879w2g. June 7, 2024. August 3, 2024.
  10. Web site: . Jim Riswold, Inducted: 2013. The One Club. July 31, 2024.
  11. Web site: . Advertising Legends Steve Hayden, Martin Puris, Jim Riswold & John Webster to Be Inducted in The One Club Creative Hall of Fame. Press release. November 14, 2012. Marketwired. Yahoo! Finance. July 31, 2024.
  12. News: Jim Riswold: Nike ad designer finds success, gets leukemia, turns to Hitler dolls. Huh? . . When Riswold, a onetime philosophy major whose iconic Nike ads made him an industry legend, was diagnosed with leukemia, he found solace in art. . September 21, 2005 . Zach . Dundas . February 10, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080130141509/http://wweek.com/editorial/3146/6741/ . January 30, 2008 . dead .
  13. Profile: Jim Riswold - Ex-Wieden CD celebrates the absurd . . Gregory. Solman . October 6, 2008 . September 22, 2009.
  14. Web site: Augen Gallery - Bio: Jim Riswold . (see various entries under the headings "Solo Exhibitions", "Group Exhibitions" and "Selected Collections) . September 22, 2009.
  15. https://web.archive.org/web/20091130185709/http://www.esquire.com/features/essay/ESQ0905HITLER_164
  16. Web site: Hitler Saved My Life . Jim . Riswold . . September 1, 2005 . September 22, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091130185709/http://www.esquire.com/features/essay/ESQ0905HITLER_164 . November 30, 2009 . dead .

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