But before you ask, it (sadly) doesn’t transform.
The massive tribute to the iconic Transformers leader stands tall in front of the local gem and mineral retail shop located on the southeast corner of Cave Creek and Schoolhouse roads. Rare Earth Gallery owner Wayne Helfand told Phoenix New Times it was installed in late August and is already turning heads and drawing crowds.
No Decepticons have shown up yet, Helfland says, just curious locals and die-hard Transformers fans.
“We’ve had a lot of people come by just to get pictures with it,” he says.
Helfland should be used to the attention by now, as it’s not the first giant Transformer he’s brought to the the Valley.
In April, he had a 14-foot-tall statue of Bumblebee placed at the intersection of Carefree Highway and Cave Creek Road in Carefree. The installation of the Autobot hero onto the property, the one-time site of a CVS Pharmacy location, was meant to generate interest in Rare Earth Gallery, which sells everything from gem-laden jewelry and massive geodes to dinosaur bones.
Helfland says both statues, which were built from recycled car parts by Indonesian artists and shipped to the Valley in pieces, stem from his love of oversized, earth-born art (steel, in this case) and came from a simple desire to “do something fun.”
Bumblebee became an impromptu tourist attraction overnight, drawing thousands of locals and Transformers fans of all ages from across Arizona and from as far away as Los Angeles to get photos and an eyeful of an Autobot.
Last month, an unspecified Valley resident scooped up the Bumblebee to display at their home. Based on the reaction to the first statue, Helfland decided to have an Optimus Prime version installed outside of Rare Earth Gallery. (Like Bumblebee, it’s also for sale, though you’ll need a Cybertron-sized bankroll to afford its $85,000 price tag.)
“These pieces spark imagination,” Helfand told City Sun Times recently. “They connect with people who may not otherwise step inside an art gallery.”
