Friday, May 16, 2008

"Hey! "William Schwartz :: New Sculptures and Op Art


"Hey!"
@ Arts Collinwood Gallery
May 16-June 14th
The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Opening Reception :: Friday May 16, 2008 / 6-9pm
Closing Party :: Saturday June 14, 2008 / 6-9pm
The body of work selected for this exhibition consists primarily of his op art pieces. Mesmerizing eye candy is the irresistible attraction. Then, hopefully, the materials used and the many possible interpretations of the titles he uses will create a lasting effect within the mind of viewer.

He views the work as a sort of anti-advertising: an advertisement against consumerism. He does not assume to tell anyone how they ought to think or feel about the work, as it is truly for each individual to come to their own conclusion – a product of their own minds. And, as always, the work he makes is for anyone, yet he understands and accepts that it may not be for everyone.

Artist Bio:
Self taught artist Robert William Schwartz was born of Irish, German and Mexican descent in 1974, and grew up on a 25-acre farm in Avon, Ohio. A Bachelor of Arts in English from Xavier University, Schwartz began his self-education in art history after having graduated. Minimal, existential, socially critical poets such as e.e.cummings and Charles Bukowski led Schwartz to discover Dadaism and Duchamp. Duchamp’s found objects, readymades and suggestive titles gave Schwartz the courage to attempt a path as an artist. Schwartz moved to Tremont at age 24, and quickly began showing in local galleries. The poetry of his early minimal, politically and socially critical works has evolved into a more complex visual rhetoric as he has accumulated a broad array of craft knowledge over the years. He hopes that his very purposeful choices of materials, paired with suggestive titles, will endure/linger in the mind of the viewer – a very Duchampian characteristic.
Arts Collinwood Gallery
Located at the corner of E. 156 and Waterloo –
15605 Waterloo Rd.,
216-692-9500.