The life of sculptor Tony Morrow – the man behind the Desperate Dan and dragon statues in Dundee – will be celebrated at a special event this week.
Members of the public are being invited to join friends, family and fellow artists at Dundee University’s Bonar Hall on Friday.
Mr Morrow, from Inchture, died in July aged 66.
He is best remembered for his statue of DC Thomson’s Dandy comic character Desperate Dan and faithful pooch, Dawg, which has stood on High Street since 2001.
In addition, his dragon statue has adorned Murraygate since 1992, one of many artworks commissioned as part of the Dundee Public Art Programme.
The dragon had originally been planned by Alastair Smart but was taken over by Mr Morrow following Mr Smart’s death.
Long-time friend and fellow artist, Ian Finan, is one of those organising Friday’s event – and says it will be an upbeat affair with plenty of humour.
He said: “We certainly want it to be a celebration of Tony’s life and his incredible legacy as an artist and sculptor.
‘Incredible body of work’ left behind
“He was a unique artist who live a unique life and, having been friends and work colleagues for over 30 years, I know he certainly wouldn’t have wanted anything sombre.
“To Dundonians he will be most fondly remembered for his Desperate Dan and Murraygate dragon sculptures which are now part of the very fabric and identity of Dundee. But he was also so much more than that.
“After his passing I helped to take stock and clear much of what was left at Tony’s studio and he has left an incredible body of work never before seen.
“While Tony struggled with his mental health at times and went through some dark periods, what we found was a wealth of work that reflected Tony at his best.
“It’s full of humour and with a unique style that could only be Tony’s.
“We just want as many people as possible to come and celebrate his life of immense creativity.”
Steve Patterson, another friend and fellow artist, echoes Ian’s sentiments.
He said: “We want it to be a celebration and a happy event, not a maudlin affair.
“I knew Tony for over 15 years and he was a supremely talented artist.
Plans for exhibition of artist’s work
“His portraiture was incredible and his sculpture work was just as good.
“As well as having a celebration of his life, we will be in discussions with Dundee City Council and various galleries to host a retrospective exhibition of Tony’s wide breadth of work, hopefully some time in 2022.”
The service will be officiated by Robbie Sharpe, humanist chaplain at Dundee University, and takes place at 3pm on Friday.
Free tickets must be booked in advance due to social distancing rules.
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