Eddie Van Halen will never be forgotten. The late rock legend now looms large over the parking lot of the Guitar Center location on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, courtesy of artist Robert Vargas. The artist has been working on the piece for weeks, documenting his progress on Instagram.
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“Eddie was one of my creative heroes. When I was young, the debut Van Halen record was the first album I ever owned,” Vargas said in a statement. “He influenced me over the years in so many different ways. As soon as the news hit of his passing, I knew I had to do something creative to memorialize him, and Guitar Center was the obvious venue. Right here on the Sunset Strip, where the band made their bones — I can’t think of a better place for this tribute to him, and I thank Guitar Center for giving me the canvas to share it with the world," he stressed.
“When you work hard at something, you can reach your full potential. Be true to your art, and your art will be true to you," the artist added. "I had the chance to meet Eddie a few years back, and because he and I connected on the nature of art and creativity, painting him here is therapeutic. Thank you, Guitar Center for allowing me to use my creative process to connect with him one more time and share it with the world.” Watch video of Vargas hard at work on the mural below.
UPDATE: Watch new video of Robert Vargas unveiling the mural below.
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