Ellijay blacksmith’s sculpture new centerpiece of Johns Creek roundabout
A steel sculpture that recently went up in Johns Creek brings an Ellijay sculptor and blacksmith’s inspiration of horses full circle.
Metal artist Eric Strauss officially unveiled his 12-foot, 4,000-pound creation, “Entwined Strength,” at a dedication ceremony in Johns Creek last weekend.
‘The Battle in the Saddle’
The sculpture of a horse with flowing mane and tail reared back on its hind legs is made entirely from tapered and textured forged steel.
Strauss estimates more than 1,000 individual pieces of heat-forged steel went into the build, which was done with blacksmithing and welding.
“It took a whole lot of metal. If I had to build it today, we probably couldn’t have done it (with the current prices),” he said.
Strauss, who described himself as a “self-taught blacksmith,” said working without outlines or other guides is usually how he creates metal art at his Ellijay studio. This piece was no exception, he confirmed.
“I called it ‘the Battle in the Saddle’ because of my way of working and not having any blueprints or forms to go by,” Strauss said. “It was like a living organism that changed every time I went to work on it. It was constantly changing, but also constantly growing.”
Johns Creek Beautification, which has a public art subcommittee called ArtSpot, enlisted Strauss to build the horse, which took two years to complete. The sculpture is now the centerpiece of a traffic roundabout at Bell Road and Boles Road in the Shakerag community.
“They had seen my work at Gibb’s Gardens, and the lady who’s the president of Johns Creek Beautification came up to Ellijay when it was just a seed idea,” Strauss said. “When they came to me, I took it as an honor. I wasn’t having to compete against other artists to do this.”
Horses have long inspired Strauss’ metal artwork. One of his first horse sculptures, which used old farm steel, was bought by Sir Elton John for the singer’s private collection.
“I named it after my mom’s horse, Scarlett. He (Elton John) loved the idea of having Scarlett looking off his balcony,” Strauss said.
Before moving to Ellijay in 1996, Strauss and wife, Charlotte, lived on a horse farm in Shakerag a few short miles from where his latest sculpture now stands. That farm is gone today, but “Entwined Strength” is a reminder of the community’s agricultural past.
“That area used to be all rural. Now it’s the City of Johns Creek. They called it Suwannee back then, but Shakerag is now part of Johns Creek,” he said. “When I went out there, I knew a horse raised back would be perfect. I wanted to revisit part of the (area’s) history and part of my history, so it just kind of worked.”
Strauss said the metal horse was among the projects that kept him busy and working through 2020’s COVID lockdown.
“The pandemic hit just as I started on it. I knew it was coming, so I started buying and squirreling away everything I could for this job. I thought if everything locks down, I’ll just sit up here and work. So that’s exactly what I did,” he said.
The sculpture is layered in curved pieces fashioned with a metal-twisting and curling technique Strauss calls his “wavy gravy.”
“I drew from a lot of different inspiration and influences. I used to live in a place in south Georgia called Cypress Lake, which is like a mini-Okefenokee. I wanted the back legs to look like cypress trees coming up. When we moved to the horse farm, the whole back of the barn was full of privet hedge and honeysuckle that was all knotted and twisted. For the tail, I wanted to emulate how that looked,” he said.
The horse’s head and body were connected after being transported from Ellijay to the roundabout site. Strauss said the piece was built to withstand the elements and weather naturally.
“It’s got everything from 2½-inch to 1-inch solid steel on it, and the frame is made out of schedule 80 pipe. It’s super stout. I thought about longevity and making something I knew was going to last a long time,” he added.
Architectural projects like custom steel gates and home furnishings have comprised much of Strauss’ work the past few years. The return to artistic metal sculpting was something he enjoyed, although it did present plenty of challenges.
Strauss said this horse was definitely the most challenging one he’s made since first welding scrap metal to make art in 1987.
“It was basically a labor of love, which tested me mentally and physically. It became like a sports competition, but the only person I was competing against was myself,” he said. “I got so deep into it, I couldn’t get out!”
Milestone achieved
“Entwined Strength” is a milestone for Strauss, much of whose work has been commissioned for private residences or purchased for private collections. It’s his first commissioned public art sculpture for a city.
“Public art is more for a city or town that can be seen by all. You don’t have to patronize a business to see it,” he said. “I’m turning 60 next week, and I’ve been doing this 38 years full time. It’s my first public piece of art, and right down from the old farm.”
A flowered steel gate made by Strauss is a permanent fixture at Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground, while his “Mesa Man” sculpture and another steel horse, “Lightning,” are in the permanent collection of Cartersville’s Booth Western Art Museum. A 15-foot abstract metal sculpture he created to represent the Murray County Indians stands on the campus of Murray High School.
The horse with the “wavy gravy” mane, however, can be seen by anyone who happens to drive, walk, run or fly past the Shakerag roundabout.
“I didn’t know if I’d ever have a chance to be in this situation again, so I just gave it everything I had. I’m happy that they’re real proud of it,” Strauss said.