The new documentary "Jimmy & the Demons" offers an intimate look into the final years of American artist James Grashow, culminating in the creation of his monumental wood sculpture, "The Cathedral." The film, directed by Cindy Meehl, premiered at the Tribeca Festival in June 2025, just months before Grashow's death in September 2025 at the age of 83.

Grashow, a Jewish artist known for his whimsical and often fantastical creations, undertook "The Cathedral" after receiving a commission from a Catholic collector. The elaborate sculpture depicts Jesus carrying a church on his back, a visual echo of Atlas shouldering the globe, while intricate demons scurry at his feet. Grashow considered the multi-year project his "grand finale," a work infused with profound personal meaning and a meditation on mortality.

Beyond documenting the sculpture's painstaking construction, "Jimmy & the Demons" explores Grashow's extensive career and personal life. The film highlights his unique body of work, which included large-scale cardboard sculptures exhibited in prominent venues such as the Museum of Modern Art, and his notable woodcut prints, including the memorable cover for Jethro Tull's 1969 album "Stand Up." The documentary also delves into his more than 50-year marriage to Lesley Grashow, affectionately known as Guzzy.

Grashow often spoke of "The Cathedral" as an expression of his deepest fears and his lifelong struggle with existential questions. He drew a parallel between his own journey and the meaning of the word "Israel," which he noted translates to "he who wrestles with God." This internal wrestling is reflected in the sculpture's details, from apostles bearing personal significance to Grashow's friends, to a figure holding an unexpected teddy bear, demonstrating his characteristic blend of solemnity and impishness. He intentionally kept some of his profound anxieties about the work's completion from his wife, Guzzy, who nevertheless shared a pervasive sense of time slipping away.

Grashow expressed his fervent wish to finish the piece, noting the increasing urgency he felt as time progressed. Both "The Cathedral" and the accompanying documentary serve as a testament to his artistic legacy, capturing the openheartedness, imaginative spirit, and darker contemplative facets that defined his work.