Mark this down as one of the more unlikely additions to the Big Apple art scene — a 16-foot statue of Tyrannosaurus Rex with Christopher Walken‘s face on it.
The unlikely creation is made of wood, clay and chicken wire and was crafted over a period of three months by five New York City high schoolers. It’s on display in East Village’s First Park but will move to another location in Manhattan this weekend.
It’s also earned the Oscar-winning actor’s seal of approval. He learned about the project after being contacted by the Block Island Times, the community newspaper of the island resort where he owns a home.
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“I haven’t seen it, but I’m flattered,” Walken told the paper. “I’ve always been fond of T-Rexes. Everybody enjoys T-Rexes.”
He added, “Perhaps we can find a place for it on Block Island … We can bring it over on the ferry.”
Ethan Cyr, one of the teenagers behind the project, said the idea for combining Walken’s head with a dinosaur’s body emerged out of an inside joke he had with friends.
“I just decided it was time to take this wacky idea and put it into three dimensions,” Cyr told TheWrap. “I wanted to make it tangible and real.”
The 17-year-old is currently applying to art school and found out about Walken’s comments during an interview with TheWrap.
“I’m so happy to hear he’s flattered,” Cyr said. “I respect him immensely as a person … I would love nothing more than to have him come and look at it in person. To get to meet him would be a surreal moment for me.”
To construct the statue, Cyr raised $2,680 on the crowdfunding site Indiegogo. He had only been asking for $750. He hopes to sell the finished product for between $5,000 to $6,000.
When not inspiring dinosaur statuary, Walken has appeared in such films as “The Deer Hunter” and “Pulp Fiction.” He recently filmed a supporting role in Clint Eastwood‘s adaptation of the hit Broadway musical “Jersey Boys.”
For more on the project, head over to the artists’ blog.