David Schwarz

David Schwarz is an American glass artist born in Vancouver, WA in 1952. He received a Masters in Science/Glass from Illinois State University in the early 1980s. From 1979 to 1986, he taught at the Pilchuck Glass School while developing his distinctive style. Since that time, Schwarz has been a full-time artist working at his studio in Ridgefield, WA. He creates glass sculptures from blown forms the surfaces of which are heavily embellished with illusionistic landscapes.

For Schwarz, the surface work is akin to creating drawings in three dimensions that are full of color and movement. Taking advantage of the optical qualities of the glass to create kaleidoscopic effects, He 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. Inside his "mini worlds," Schwarz makes use of architectural scale and light to create feelings of movement and incredible depth. Schwarz is also recognized for his recent “Z-Axis” series, in which his intent is to “try to create an illusion of space.” With pieces crafted of clear glass with colored glass overlays, faceted and etched to create illusions of perspective, optics, and contrasts, Schwarz has made his way into the ranks of the top glass blowers in the United States.

David Schwarz’s work is in collections such as the Corning Museum of Glass, NY; Milwaukee Museum of Art, WI; Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Washington DC; The White House Permanent Collection. the High Museum, Atlanta, GA; and the Hunter Museum of Art, Chattanooga, TN; City of Seattle and the Museum of Art and Archaeology at the University of Missouri- Columbia, as well as numerous other private collections and corporations. Oregon Public Broadcasting’s award-winning arts program Oregon Art Beat featured him as well.