As Grateful Dead and Dead & Company fans flock to Las Vegas for Dead & Company’s “Dead Forever – Live at Sphere” residency, they may be surprised to run into the late, great Jerry Garcia…Well, an incredibly lifelike figure anyway.
As a tribute to the iconic songwriter, lead guitarist and lead singer of Grateful Dead, artist Larry “Rubber” Torro has sculpted and unveiled a life-size, lifelike statue currently on display at Animazing Gallery at The Palazzo Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.
"The pursuit of happiness was Jerry's credo and that is what I wanted to convey in this piece by capturing Jerry doing what he loved and spreading that belief with his mischievous smile,” said Torro. “A lifelong fan of The Dead, you can rest assured, their music was the soundtrack for the creation of this piece."
Made of silicone, resin and a human/synthetic hair blend, the figure took months to create. While on display at the gallery, it will not only serve as an artistic tribute to Garcia, but also as a unique display of one-of-a-kind replicas of his most famous guitars, which will be changed out from time to time.
The Jerry Garcia figure is part of the “Visions of the Dead: A Grateful Dead Art and Photography Exhibition” featuring the work of renowned Grateful Dead artists including Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart, psychedelic rock artist Stanley Mouse (creator of Grateful Dead’s iconic skeleton and roses image, as well as countless Grateful Dead rock posters and album covers), and Jay Blakesberg (long time photographer for Grateful Dead and Dead & Company). The exhibit also introduces the work of Chloe Weir (up-and-coming photographer and daughter of Grateful Dead and Dead & Company founding member and guitarist Bobby Weir) and includes historical Grateful Dead images curated by Ricki Blakesberg from Retro Photo Archive.
“Visions of the Dead: A Grateful Dead Art and Photography Exhibition” features iconic photography; limited edition graphics; original, one-of-a-kind sketches; and paintings created over the last five decades of the Grateful Dead experience. The exhibition will run through July 14 with Stanley Mouse, Jay Blakesberg and Chloe Weir making personal appearances on Saturday, June 1 from 1-3 p.m.
For more information visit www.animazing.com or Instagram @animazinggallery.
