G.W., Jr. A tribute in sculpture to jazz musician Grover Washington, Jr.

 

 

Grover Washington, Jr. died suddenly on December 18, 1999.

 

This sculptor’s response was moved by sadness and a motivation to create a sculpture in his honor. Keeping within the framework of Necktie Sculpture, papiér maché would become the medium for this sculpture rather than bronze. The sculptor gathered various newspapers that were published at the time of his death, and he separated the pages according to color and image content. There was a photo of him playing his sax. He was wearing a green sport jacket and tie, pleated black trousers, shinny shoes, and holding his sax. This image would be the inspirational model for the sculptor to follow. His green sport jacket would be made from green-colored newspapers; his dress shirt from a comic strip; his black trousers from black-colored newspapers; his saxophone from yellow and gold-colored newspapers, and so on. The “pose” was Grover Washington, Jr. playing his sax. And, his “head” or the knot of the tie would represent a collage of achievement.  After weeks of work, G.W., Jr. was ready, except for one thing: It needed a base. A stage was needed, a playing environment. Not an ordinary stage, but something special. With the proper lighting, “he” must look like he is on a real stage in performance. The unusual yet something identifiable was needed if possible. Movement? How? Reflection? Shape? Trapezoid? Unleveled?  Finally, the concept of the base as a stage became a working idea, then a reality. The shinny black marble base reflects the colors and movement of G.W., Jr., a sculpture dedicated to a great jazz musician.

 

Measurements

 

Height of Papier Mache

 

Base

 

 

 

 

Total Height of Papier  Mache and Base

6’  (183 cm)

 

Black Marble: 3‘  x   54”  (91 cm  x  137 cm)                             

            Front to Back: 54 “  (137 cm)

            Front  (Left to Right): 3’  x  22” h   (91 cm   x   56 cm)

            Back (Left to Right): 26  x  17” h.   (66 cm   x  43 cm)

 

8’  (244 cm)

 

$175,000.00

 

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