If you've taken a walk around Newark, New Jersey, chances are you've seen Jerry Gant's work.
Maybe it was a mischievous-looking face stenciled onto a utility box. Maybe it was a spray-painted phrase on the side of a building: "Detox the Ghetto." Or maybe you've come across one of his many public sculptures, made with laser-cut metal.
These are all hallmarks of the prolific multimedia artist, who died on Sunday at the age of 56, just a few weeks shy of his birthday.
Linda Street, Gant's friend and frequent collaborator, says he died due to complications of liver cancer.
Most of Newark's public sculptures were made by Gant, including a five-piece metal sculpture outside of Newark Penn Station that was commissioned by New Jersey Transit, and a thirteen-piece sculpture series in Nat Turner Park.
Gant worked in a wide variety of mediums, including the spoken word, textiles, murals, and found objects.
"Even just in normal conversation, Jerry's language had a rhythm to it," Street told WNYC. "It was colorful, filled with metaphors. And his personal style was so distinctive."
Street said Gant was unique in everything he did, from the way he dressed to the elevated messages he managed to convey with his street art. He even coined the term "Gantalism" to describe his particular way of being.
"Gantalism is the art of being Jerry Gant."
That's how Lauren Craig, director of Marketing and Artistic Initiatives at Newark Arts, explained it. She said the local arts community is devastated by this loss.
"Everybody knew him and also loved him," said Craig. "Even if you were a new artist, he came and spoke to you. He always had an encouraging word."
Gant could often be found walking the streets of Newark, speaking to anyone he encountered. Craig said it will be difficult not seeing him around town.
"Wherever you happened to be, you'd run into him," said Craig. "And that's kind of what his art is as well. He's certainly a part of the fabric of the city, forever."
Gant is survived by his three children—twin sons and a daughter—and four grandchildren, all of whom live in New Jersey.
A forthcoming celebration of Gant's life and legacy is tentatively planned on Sunday, December 16 at the Newark Museum.