THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER - Friday, October 31, 2003 Steel-clad fantasies. Craft also contributes significantly to the sculptures that Warren Holzman is showing in this season's second Challenge exhibition at the Fleisher Art Memorial. All six pieces are formed primarily of forged and fabricated steel. The metal conveys strength, utility and, as Holzman uses it, elemental rawness. As such, it establishes a piquant counterpoint to the spirit of fantasy and playfulness that the sculptures communicate. Small Victory is a prime example. It resembles an arched segment of large intestine fitted out with four wheels and a sturdy towing string, perched on a small concrete arch. Bad Breath is a skull sprouting a cluster of tendrils that terminate in tiny bomblike forms. A monumental rusted head resting on a weathered wooden cargo pallet evokes the dichotomy between durable reality and suggestive fantasy even more emphatically. A constant interplay between these two perceptions gives Holzman's work its vitality. READING TIMES - January 13, 2001 City man crafts podiums for Bush A metal sculptor from Philadelphia creates two pieces that will be used in next weekend's presidential inauguration. By Kori Walter Most artists unveil their work at gallery exhibits or competitions. Metal sculptor Warren C. Holzman of Philadelphia will get to show off his latet work during next Saturday's inauguration of George W. Bush as president. Holzman was hired to craft a pair of cold-finished steel podiums - including the one Bush will stand behind while delivering his first speech as the 43rd president. "Every time someone looks at pictures of the inauguration, there will probably be a small piece of it in the picture," Holzman said, during a break from his work in his Philadelphia shop. The presidential podium features a three-dimensional torch of liberty, but isn't flashy, Holzman noted. "It was meant to be more muted and stately," he said. "I guess that's what they were looking for after this election." There has been little time left for Holzman to reflect on what it's like being part of a historic event that will be viewed by millions. The presidential Inauguration Committee decided Sunday to use podiums designed by Philadelphia free-lance designer Bill Lance, who had done some design work at the GOP convention in July and was familiar with Holzman's metal work. Holzman was celebrating his son's fifth birthday late Sunday when Lance called and asked him to make the podiums. Though he voted for Bush's opponent, Vice President Al Gore, Holzman didn't hesitate to accept the work. "It's always great as an artist to jump head first into a project that you've never done before," he said. "This is a job to be done regardless of what my political views are. I'm a professional metal worker. When someone hires me to do a job, I don't care what their politics are." The 16-gauge steel and other materials didn't arrive until late Monday, and organizers needed the podium finished and ready to be delivered to Washington today, Holzman said. "It's like doing two weeks worth of work in three days," he said. "Everything is done on the fly at full-bore." That means at least 15 hours a day in his workshop in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia, where he welded, cut and rolled ribbons of steel used on the roughly 150-pound podiums. "It is sort of intimidating to pull off something that you don't have a second chance at," Holzman said. There wasn't much of a chance for Holzman to display his talent while growing up in South Yonkers, N.Y. - just outside the Bronx. "Art class was a place you went to hide out...," Holzman recalled. "We didn't even have a football team. The school had no money." Drawing during class was his only artistic outlet. "I was one of those kids who drew constantly and got in trouble because of it," Holzman said, noting his mother blamed poor grades on the desktop artwork. Holzman said he didn't even pick up a tool until he enrolled at Kutztown University and became a sculpture major. After graduating in 1995, Holzman took a job at Amity Fence Company in Reading. "I had very few tools and needed a job to support my family," Holzman said. During the day Holzman welded fences and crafted pricey ornamental gates. At night, he was allowed to use the shop and tools for sculpting Iron and other metal pieces. Holzman credits that arrangement with the company owner Scott Getz for making it possible to pursue sculpting full time and open his Philadelphia workshop in May. Sculpting podiums for a presidential inauguration won't likely bring instant fame, Holzman said. And Holzman wouldn't reveal how much he was paid. "More than the money, I can use this as an advancement for my career," he said. "It adds a little bit of credibility to your career." Holzman isn't attending the inauguration, and he doubts that he will take time to watch the ceremony. "I watch very little TV." He said. Still, family and friends are excited, said his wife, Elizabeth Paolini. "Everybody is just amazed," she said. "A lot of people familiar with his work are very keyed up."
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