TOMMY HOLLESTEIN Los Angeles Winner 'New York' Public Favourite Base 35.54 x 22 cm Height 139.7 x width 45 cm Diameter 43 cm Wood, reused paintbrushes, acrylic, mixed media $4,600
Artist Tommy Hollenstein takes viewers with him on a freedom ride through vibrant color and motion. Using wheels for his paint brush, Hollenstein’s abstract yet accessible style has been compared to Jackson Pollock, liberating the confinement of the canvas through “action painting”. As did Pollock, Hollenstein creates his paintings from a method working above the canvas, resulting in direct expressions or revelations that exhibit the unconscious moods of the artist. A native Angelino, Hollenstein is inspired by the Southern California culture in love with its wheels as well as the landscape. His work portrays a whimsical world of his own invention layering vibrant colors applied by tire treads to create the perception of fluid motion in static space. His series of paintings offer a wide range of expression and can contain up to 32 layers of form and color. Art has been Hollenstein’s life passion. In 1985, at 24 years old, he survived a mountain biking accident that left him a quadriplegic. The road to reinvent himself is captured through his work. It is a journey that is sometimes melancholy and sometimes jubilant, but always inspirational. His paintings depict a fluidity of movement with a wide range of color that will appeal to everybody.