Yesterday, the area’s largest sculpture was formally unveiled in front of Rigidized Metals Corp., located at 658 Ohio Street in Buffalo. The towering structure, called “Energy Weave,” was commissioned by CEO Rick Smith, designed by Larry Griffis III and placed at the site of the company’s new 20,000 square foot expansion.
Smith hired well-known sculptor Griffis to design the piece. As it stands, the piece is 80 feet long and climbs to more than 40 feet high — the largest sculpture in Western New York. The structure is made almost completely of Rigidized metal formed into leaf-like pieces and arranged in a curvy pattern, which according to Griffis is meant to capture the sun’s rays.
Griffis and Smith’s objective was to bring some artistic beauty to this area of the city. “We don’t have much art down here in the First Ward, and Larry and I were keen to change that,” Smith said. “We wanted to build something special, something new, something to take pride in,” he continued.
Smith praised Griffis for his immediate understanding and dead-on vision in the sculpture’s design. He also praised Ed Hogle and his EB Atlas Steel Corporation, who rolled and bent the Rigidized-made metal to Griffis’ specifications.
Griffis also had grateful words for the support team, from Smith to Atlas, to the structural engineers who helped to erect the sculpture. “Sure, I can design it,” Griffis said, “but I can’t do it by myself. It was a real challenge – thank God Rick didn’t hassle me too much. Then we erected it in winter because nothing stops us in Buffalo.” Griffis finished by saying that the Rigidized metal was a pleasure to work with because of its “wonderful textures that made great results.”
The “Energy Weave” can even been seen from Route 5. “You can see how talented Griffis is as a sculptor, but he’s also
fearless and that’s what makes him a great artist,” Smith said. So look for Buffalo’s newest work of art on your morning commute!
fearless and that’s what makes him a great artist,” Smith said. So look for Buffalo’s newest work of art on your morning commute!
To see more of Griffis’ work, check out the Griffis Sculpture Park, located in Ashford Hollow, NY. The park is the largest sculpture park in the United States and features several pieces from Griffis, as well as dozens of other sculpture pieces.
(Photos by Matt Biddle and ECB. Top photo: Smith, Griffis and Hogle. Group photo: Rigidized employees.)