Meet Michael Holloway & Patrick Neuwirth

By combining their talents, MICHAEL HOLLOWAY and PATRICK NEUWIRTH bring together the relationship between art, architecture and design. With more than fifteen years of experience in the welding field, great pride is taken in both the look and the strength of each weld no matter how small. Using the welding electrode in much the same way a potter uses clay, several welds are layered one on top of the other when connecting the pieces and forming the structure. “Our objective is to create original artwork that stirs the imagination and the soul with fluidity of motion, vibrant color, texture and form.”

R. MICHAEL HOLLOWAY was the long-haired maverick sort of high school student who aced calculus, English and chemistry classes but settled for F's in typing and tennis. Yet, this is the same Fort Worth native who graduated in 1984 from Texas Christian University with a Bachelors of Business Administration/Finance degree. After 17 years as a career accountant, Holloway recalls deciding, “It would be a lot of fun to do something entirely different.” Opting for jeans and boots, Holloway morphed into a self-styled “artistic marketing maverick” and joined forces with self-styled “manic metal artist” Patrick Neuwirth.

It was the Spring of 2001 when Holloway says he “chucked it all” for something completely different - an independent career in the business of art. He had a silent knowing that he and Patrick contained within them just the right mixture of talent to make it work so he committed $40,000 to the startup art-as-business concept. The idea was to foster ‘unfettered artistic creativity’ within the parameters of ‘designing and hand-making functional furnishings’ for the home or office – and ‘creating a niche industry’ by selling the one-of-a-kind results. Holloway and Neuwirth set up in Neuwirth's garage with the appropriate tools and an agreed upon set of original designs. “I had a strong feeling from the outset that this concept was going to be successful,” said Holloway, “we are a bit of an anomaly. We took something functional and make it art….and take art and make it functional.” An introvert Christian who loves his pet dogs like children and independent thinker who loves numbers, gaming, the Fort Worth Symphony, TCU football and also a canvas artist in his own right, Holloway privately cherishes his own interest in painting and drawing. ony, TCU football and also a canvas artist in his own right, Holloway privately cherishes his own interest in painting and drawing.

Patrick Neuwirth

PATRICK NEUWIRTH had been honing his skills as an artist for the better part of ten years. After graduating high school in Des Moines, Iowa, Patrick took a welding job as an ironworker in the field of security installations. He quickly developed a love for working with steel and an appreciation for the versatility and boundless design energy the material presents. With bins of scrap channel iron and rebar at his disposal, Neuwirth would bend and weld unique creations and with time and tenacity as wonderful teachers, his creations soon became recognizable forms.

Neuwirth’s view of furniture design first received acclaim in 1993 when he was commissioned to design and fabricate thirty dining tables for the chic Chinese restaurant where he worked as a bartender. The response to his literally “twisted” design was so encouraging, it was only a matter of time before he was turning in his two week notice at his day job and diving full-time into the furniture design business. In 1994, he titled his venture Zero Tolerance, meaning “no deviation from a set standard,” and those standards were to be set by his imagination. Patrick's designs were shown, collected and publicized however his venture ended in 1995 when he relocated to Dallas, Texas where he continued to design. In 2001, Neuwirth and Holloway, a client and aspiring entrepreneur, started brainstorming ideas for a functional art studio. Patrick now lives in Ft. Worth with his wife Tina and their three dogs and two cats and enjoys his other interests in volunteering at his church and playing guitar.

What Partnered These Artists

What partnered HOLLOWAY and NEUWIRTH, two men of mostly paradoxical personalities was their desire to wage ‘an attack on sameness.’ Neuwirth’s whimsical approach to rigid structure and flowing form has been well received by art galleries and furniture stores. Clientele, journalists and even Holloway agree that many of the artist’s works evoke Dr. Seuss, Alice in Wonderland and Beetlejuice illusions of metal in fluid motion or skewed balance. In the custom-equipped, no-automation 6,000 square foot studio, the two and their apprentices have ensured no chance for duplication. The studio has no dyes, casts, other pre-set forms, blueprints, other fixed designs and no mechanized automation. Hand-wielded welders, saws, sanders, polishers and vises are the only tools.

The studio is personally handled by Holloway - a hands-on business manager involved in every aspect of the business. He has grown their client galleries from two in 2002 to more than two-hundred nationwide. As well he is responsible for displaying the creations at four wholesale and twenty retail shows each year all over the country. “We are just beginning to be accepted into the top 10 ranked shows in the country,” says Holloway. “The unusual aspect of our creations allows me to sell more, which allows the art to grow freely, which allows me to sell more. The process of creating and selling feeds on itself. We have almost no competition at these shows.”

Design Process

The personality of each piece of furniture created by Michael and Patrick begins with the steel. The color, texture and rigidity vary from mill to mill. So with each order placed, although the dimensions of the iron remain the same, the characteristics vary greatly. The “creator” chooses not to see this as a negative, letting the steel dictate how it is going to perform and then pushing it to those limits. The iron comes in 20 foot “sticks” that are cut down to the appropriate lengths. A tape measure is used to adhere to the laws of ergonomics, like the seat height on a chair, but does not play a role in the design. The “creator” prefers to “eyeball” each cut as the project begins to take shape. This process ensures that each piece of functional art develops not by the dictation of measurements, but by the flow of inspiration and imagination. Each bend, whether subtle or dramatic, is formed using only a simple vise and an assortment of “cheater bars.” From there, the construction of the project relies greatly on the welds. With more than fifteen years of experience in the welding field, great pride is taken in both the look and the strength of each weld no matter how small. Using the welding electrode in much the same way a potter uses clay, several welds are layered one on top of the other when connecting the pieces and forming the structure. A grinder is used to achieve a seamless transition from one curve to the next.

Once the construction is completed, the entire project is brushed down with a cup brush attached to a grinder. Spinning at a rate of 10,000 rpm, it removes much of the scale and slag from the welds and gives the item a more uniformed appearance. A grinder with an abrasive paper disk attached to a rubber backing pad is then used to achieve the burnished look that is becoming Michael and Patrick’s trademark.

Most clients prefer the look of the iron in its raw form to any other color under the rainbow, but protecting that look has proved to be a challenge. A couple of options that work very well include a clear epoxy enamel, applied in several coats to preserve the iron and prevent rust. The enamel is sufficient protection for indoor conditions, but for an outdoor application, the piece of furniture is put through a “powder coating” process. Powder coating uses extreme heat to bake the finish on the metal and give it much more durable protection. Once the piece has been painted, fabric, tile, wood or glass is added to finish the piece. It is then signed, dated and titled.

Care Instructions

We apply a coat of car wax to all flat surfaces before the piece leaves the studio. For daily care we recommend no liquid cleaning agents but rather a light duster. Additional applications of car wax are appropriate about twice a year. This process will help maintain the shire as well as remove any surface scratches. The use of felt pads is also recommended on any item that will be placed on the table tops.