david schwarz

Published by Ken Saunders Gallery

230 West Superior StreetChicago, IL 60654

www.kensaundersgallery.com

© 2013 Ken Saunders GalleryAll Rights Reserved

Printed and Bound in the United States of America

2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1First Edition September 2013

Design: Deborah KraftPhotography: David Schwarz

ISBN: 978-0-9885301-4-0

Published on the occasion of the exhibitionDAVID SCHWARZ: Architure-Nature

September 6 - October 27, 2013

DAVID SCHWARZArchitecture-Nature

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David Schwarz creates glass sculptures from blown forms the surfaces of which are heavily embellished with illusionistic landscapes.

Handling hot glass requires deft skills that are honed over a lifetime. In its viscous form working with glass requires intuition, strength and control. The dance proceeds inextricably once the molten glass is gathered; artist bringing to bear all of his skills even as the glass resists his every entreaty. To create the canvas that he will draw and paint upon David Schwarz must execute large, symmetrical, thick-glassed objects of exacting proportions. David’s work is so much about the cold work- the cutting and grinding and other processes that are used to mark the surfaces-but we should not take the forms themselves for granted.

Artists and artisans throughout history have employed their skills to embellish the objects that they have created with signs, symbols, marks and pictures that are meant to imbue the objects with extra meaning/beauty/resonance.

For David, the surface work is akin to creating drawings in three dimensions that are full of color andmovement. Taking advantage of the optical qualities of the glass to create kaleidoscopic effects, David is able to create floating fantastic landscapes. The resulting sculptures juxtapose the restraint of the forms themselves with the exuberance of the landscapes he has created on their surfaces.

The gallery is very proud be mounting this exhibition of glass sculpture by David Schwarz. His work embodies the very best qualities of the Studio Glass Movement.

Ken Saunders 2013

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I love the process of working with glass both in its hot state when it is soft and pliable and when it has cooled, solidi-fied and hard.

My blown glass forms are composed of clear glass with a thin layer of colored glass overlaid on the exterior. Once the form is determined, facets are then ground into the surface. These facets create visual entries to my drawings, my imaginary universe. These optical effects, along with my use of color, form, perspective and implied movement combine to bring pleasure to the eye.

My grandfather, father, and brothers were engineers – a path I followed for just a few years until I realized that my passion seemed to be working by hand, creating art. I broke with tradition, earning a Masters in Science in Art de-gree from Illinois State University in 1982. Still, my training as an engineer informed much of my earlier work. I liked to draw straight-lined structures that read mass but existed in an environment devoid of gravity. Though the basic intent – to convey illusionary space – has remained the same, my work has recently moved away from these depic-tions of rigid, hard-edged structures, giving way to an exploration of more curvaceous natural forms.

Elementary knot work and border panels with its imitation of the three-dimensional arts of painting, weaving, and basketry have been tools of many races of people that date back thousands of years. The use of the interwoven patterns in Celtic art has a certain special magic that stimulates my eye. It implies space both seen and unseen. As in Engineering, the more advanced patterns require great geometrical and mathematical skill. I aim to use power of illusion similarly to suggest a three dimensional space with a two-dimensional drawing. This drawn surface work is then reflected and compressed inside the piece, hinting at imaginary space.

My home and studio are surrounded by forest. I’ve incorporated this sense of peaceful pleasure into my newest work with visual fields of pattern, color and texture that provide the flow, rhythm and balance that I’ve observed in these wooded areas.

David Schwarz 2013

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Trillium 7-22-12201210 x 8 x 4 ½ inches

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Tree in Blue 8-26-13201314 x 9 ½ x 16 inches

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Tree Portal in Black 7-2-13201327 ½ x 22 x 6 inches

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Tree Bubble Study in Blue 4-22-13201310 x 6 x 6 inches

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Optical Trio in Blue 6-9-13201321 ½ x 15 x 14 inches

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Gold Macaw201210 x 9 1/2 x 4 inches

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Tree Portal in Copper Red 4-15-13201328 ½ x 26 x 6 inches

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Tree Bubble Study in Copper Red 7-15-13201310 ½ x 8 x 8 inches

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Tree in Blue 3-17-12201210 ½ x 5 ¾ x 5 ¾ inches

Tree in Golden Brown 4-6-11 201112 x 9 x 9 inches

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Tree in Copper Red 10-25-12201213 ½ x 7 ¾ x 11 inches

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Public Collections

SEVEN BRIDGES FOUNDATION, Old Greenwich, CTCITY OF SEATTLE PORTABLE WORKS COLLECTION, Seattle, WA

WESTERN GALLERY, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WAMUSKEGON MUSEUM OF ART, Muskegan, MI

WASHINGTON STATE ART COMMISSION, Olympia, WATHE CITY OF EVERET PUBLIC ART COLLECTION, Everett, WA

PRESCOTT COLLECTION OF PILCHUCK GLASS at PACIFIC FIRST CENTER, Seattle, WA

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