The motley collection of junk-metal sculptures known as Jerry Hall's World of Imagination, which has for years fascinated visitors to northwest Tucson, Arizona, has sadly been disbanded.
I had the pleasure of visiting Jerry in 2006 when I was doing research for Weird Arizona, and was even honored to see the inside of his home where he had created an array of glass-bead murals, which were not viewable by the general public.
His bizarre collection of metal creatures, which inhabited every square foot of his front and side yards, was one of the most fun assemblages of so-called "junk" art I've ever encountered. And Jerry himself, a very generous and welcoming individual, was a pleasure to talk with.
Sadly, Jerry Hall succumbed to cancer in 2010, and this past weekend, his family was forced to sell his artwork in an estate sale. Word is the house, too, will be put on the market.
For reasons unknown, the local news media have neglected to cover this story and my contact information for the Hall family is outdated, so I've been unable to verify the details of the sell-off. However, visitors to the Roadside Resort have told me they personally attended the auction on Saturday, lovers of Jerry's work who were able to grab up at least a small memento of the Tucson landmark they loved so much.
1 Comment
04/02/2014 - I drove by 1402 Water Street today and, sadly, all but two pieces of larger sculpture, are gone. They are two larger chrome ones, made out of bumpers. It is so strange to see those yards landscaped like any other. However, it is nice to see that some neighbors bo't pieces and still display them on the street. I invite anyone to go to tribute page for Jerry Hall on Facebook, to see some photos taken during the estate sale. Thank you. https://www.facebook.com/JerryHallTucsonAZ