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Greg Holzgrefe (Photo by Ash Daniel)
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Detail of “Blue Moon,” reclaimed stainless steel, brushed stainless steel, acrylic paint; 19 by 48 inches
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“Pink Lips,” reclaimed stainless steel, brushed stainless steel, acrylic paint; 20 by 51.5 inches
Who: Greg Holzgrefe
What: Sculpture
Most people have a hard time seeing potential in the byproducts of manufacturing, but with a 35-year career in architecture, Greg Holzgrefe is primed to view things differently. He sees repetition and symmetry in the holes left behind in sheets of stainless steel used to create, for example, electrical panel backing.
The way sunlight hits these found objects in his backyard studio and the shadows they cast show him where a pattern might emerge when he pairs the steel cutouts with color. The results are often reminiscent of playful, everyday objects — candy or hoop earrings — or they might resemble an abstract sunset or an obscure African musical instrument.
Holzgrefe has produced more than 40 works of art for homes and businesses in Virginia and Florida, including three on display at Dominion Energy and Markel Corp. At auction, his pieces have raised more than $25,000 for organizations, including local schools such as Saint Gertrude High School and the Faison Center for Autism. In 2018, he incorporated new media into the work he exhibited at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond’s Craft + Design show: automotive paint, mirrored steel and LED lights.
A lifelong Richmonder, Holzgrefe grew up in the Museum District as the youngest of nine children. His father, a civil engineer for the city, taught him how to build “practical stuff” like benches, tables and tool sheds, all the while emphasizing precision. His mother, an artist with a talent for sewing, would sketch and re-create her favorite dresses from Thalhimers department store. “I guess I’m a mixture of the engineer and the artist,” he says.
Holzgrefe’s interest in working with salvaged metals goes back to his days as a student at the Virginia Tech School of Architecture + Design, where he used a milling machine on scrap aluminum blocks to create, among other things, interlocking, stackable 3D models and a tactile calendar for the visually impaired. But he began his artwork in earnest seven years ago, after a weekly Saturday trip to his cousin’s salvage yard with his dad. “That’s when this wonderful piece of stainless steel caught my eye,” Holzgrefe says. “It was almost a quarter-inch thick and had these amazingly clean cuts that only a laser can get. The precision was down to one-hundredth of an inch — that’s almost like a strand of hair. I was like, ‘Wow, I’m going to have to create some art out of this!’ ”
“Cleave & Leave,” by Sandhi Schimmel Gold, paper mosaic on canvas, 40 by 40 inches
Don't Miss: “Love Shack,” a group show that’s a salute to hearts in the arts, featuring peace, love, and rock ’n’ roll in images; sculpture; glass; and more by a group of artists including Sandhi Schimmel Gold.
Through Feb. 15, Eclectica Art Gallery, 1253 Sycamore Square, Midlothian, eclecticaartgallery.com
