Tommy Hollenstein, an American abstract impressionist painter and found object sculptor, stands out for his art and unique artistic approach. As a lifelong quadriplegic, Hollenstein defies traditional painting methods, using the tires of his wheelchair to create his works. This innovative technique has earned him respect as a disabled artist, with numerous celebrity and art collector patrons. His art has graced countless private and public installations across the United States, and his philanthropic efforts include donating paintings and sales proceeds to various charitable organizations.
Hollenstein, the son of a restaurateur father and an ex-Marine Corps mother, was raised in Canoga Park in the San Fernando Valley region of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. As a young man, Hollenstein was an extreme sports enthusiast and enjoyed skateboarding, surfing, and mountain biking. He became interested in the arts, making his first inroads into artistic work by creating edible art from watermelons. He also trained to become a private detective.
On March 10, 1985, Hollenstein was involved in a bicycling accident that broke his neck, causing him to become a C4/C5 quadriplegic and confining him to a wheelchair. While recovering from the injury, Hollenstein was introduced to mouth stick painting, which he rejected because he felt it was too restrictive. Hollenstein initially began working as a private investigator assigned to cases of missing persons, eventually moving to work on modified service vans for disabled people.
Hollenstein’s journey as an artist took a unique turn when his service dog had a stroke. Wanting to memorialize his companion, he created a painting that juxtaposed the dog’s paw prints with the tracks of his wheelchair. This innovative approach sparked a realization- he could use the tires of his wheelchair as brushes. Setting up a studio, he began painting at night, eventually showcasing his work to art dealers and holding his first solo exhibition in 2005.
Hollenstein works in an abstract impressionist style, incorporating bright colors and often invokes a sense of motion. Hollenstein credits Jackson Pollock and Claude Monet as significant influences and is a disciple of Monet’s Rouen Cathedral series. Hollenstein also credits his Christian faith as an inspiration in his work and has created several works with inspirational themes.
Hollenstein’s works utilize Behr house paints and pretreated Masonite boards. He brushes paint onto the wheels of his wheelchair and then uses the wheels to paint the boards, applying layers of color over each other over a while. The number of layers in a painting will vary from three to fifty. Some of Hollenstein’s paintings feature noticeable tire track patterns, and others utilize bald tires and other techniques that make it difficult to tell that the art was created with the tires of a wheelchair. Hollenstein gives most of his finished paintings a one-word title representing the theme. Hollenstein then uses his leftover brushes and dipsticks to create found object sculptures.
Hollenstein’s patron list includes numerous celebrities in the music and entertainment fields. Actor Joaquin Phoenix became an early celebrity patron when he purchased two paintings from Hollenstein’s first solo exhibition. Other celebrity patrons include Ringo Starr, Slash (Guns N’ Roses), Elliot Easton (The Cars), Nick Hexum (311), author Dean Koontz, Elton John, and television evangelist Joel Osteen.
Malibu-based art collector Lisette Ackerberg, the widow of real estate developer Norman Ackerberg, has assembled one of Southern California’s premier private abstract art collections. The Ackerberg collection includes works by Pablo Picasso, Willem de Kooning, and Hollenstein’s painting Unseen.
Hollenstein regularly donates paintings and sales proceeds to charitable and non-profit organizations. Ten percent of all the sales of Hollenstein’s paintings go to Canine Companions for Independence, a non-profit organization that trains service dogs.
In 2007, Hollenstein’s paintings were featured in an exhibit at the Boston Children’s Hospital, which led to Hollenstein coming out to the hospital to teach wheelchair-using children how to paint with the tires of their wheelchairs. In 2008, Hollenstein donated Helping Hands, a painting that featured the handprints of sixteen rock musicians, including those of Ringo Starr and Joe Walsh, to the non-profit Shane’s Inspiration. In 2009, Hollenstein donated paintings to a concert benefit for the Los Angeles-based charity Adopt The Arts, which “preserves and creates arts programs in U.S. public schools.” In 2011, a solo exhibition of Hollenstein’s work entitled “Wheels of Hope” donated forty percent of its proceeds to six charitable organizations.