ARTIST’S STATEMENT

MICHAEL SCHWARTZ, THE TORONTO BORN SON OF IMMIGRANT PARENTS, IS AN ABSTRACT PAINTER, WHO BEGAN HIS CAREER IN FILM AND TELEVISION AFTER GRADUATING FROM THE YORK UNIVERSITY FILM PROGRAM.

HIS FIRST EXPERIENCE AS AN ARTIST WAS HAVING TO DRAW THE WHITE LINES ON THE BASEBALL FIELD AT A SUMMER CAMP AS HE WAS THE ONLY MALE EMPLOYEE IN THE ARTS AND CRAFTS DEPARTMENT.

IN 2019 A CLOSE FRIEND OF MICHAEL MADE A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT FORGERY IN THE ART WORLD WHICH INTRODUCED HIM TO THE WORK OF MARK ROTHKO. MICHAEL QUICKLY PROCLAIMED, “I CAN DO THAT” AND SO BEGAN HIS PASSION TO BECOME AN ARTIST. THE ARTISTS WHO INSPIRED HIM GREW TO INCLUDE DE KOONING, HARTIGAN AND KANDINSKY, ALL PART OF THE ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST MOVEMENT.  
OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, HE DEVELOPED A SELF-TAUGHT STYLE DRIVEN BY SPONTANEITY AND INTUITION.

CONTAINING A SOPHISTICATED COLOUR PALETTE WHICH TENDS TO FAVOUR WARM TONES, MICHAEL EXPLORES HOW ABSTRACTION CAN BE USED TO MANIPULATE SENSORY EXPERIENCE AND VARIOUS EMOTIONAL IMPULSES.

HIS RECENT WORK PORTRAYS LYRICAL ABSTRACTIONS WHICH DANCE ACROSS THE COMPOSITION LIKE FINE JAZZ.

HE HAS A COMPLEX EYE FOR COLOUR HARMONY AND A GREAT SENSE OF BALANCE IN HIS COMPOSITIONS.HE USES MULTIPLE LAYERS OF PAINT, A VARIETY OF SURFACES, A BOLD USE OF BRUSHWORK AND EXPRESSIVE STRUCTURAL AND GEOMETRIC PATTERNS.  
 
MICHAEL IS REPRESENTED IN VANCOUVER BY THE GALLERY GEORGE AND HAS HAD A NUMBER OF SHOWS IN TORONTO.

HIS WORK IS DISPLAYED IN HOMES IN TORONTO, ISTANBUL, BOSTON, LOS ANGELES, MENDOCINO AND TEL AVIV.

THREE OF HIS PAINTINGS WERE FEATURED IN THE BRITISH PUBLICATION, THE WORLD OF INTERIORS AND ON SAATCHI ART.