Collection: Norman Schwab

A Brief Introduction

Norman Schwab, born on September 11th, 1943, in Chicago, Illinois, USA, is a postwar artist whose work explores the psychological and spiritual dimensions of loss and decay. Evaluating the sensation of nothingness found at the end of time on once-used objects, he highlights life's fragility and the natural entropy process inherent in the passage of life. Schwab's artwork examines the silent remains of objects, imbued with memories and emotions, serving as memorials that engage with personal and broad human-scale experiences of mourning, remembrance, and nostalgia. His exploration of symbols reveals their duality, transforming them from symbols of life to signals of approaching death. Rooted in early-life encounters with loss within his family, Schwab's art serves as private rumination, grounded in intellectual clarity drawn from art history and personal experience.

Incorporating diverse materials such as rusted metal, sticks, drapes, blankets, and unconventional items, Schwab weaves together a symphony of textures and forms, reflecting the inherent beauty and chaos of the environment. By integrating these elements into his compositions, he infuses his work with the organic essence of the natural world, emphasizing a hands-on, immersive approach to his artistic process. This unique blend of materials and themes results in a sculptural quality to his paintings, creating a profound and thought-provoking artistic experience for the viewer.

Schwab asserts that he paints with objects, emphasizing a hands-on, immersive approach to his artistic process. This layering of diverse imagery and materials becomes a commentary on societal discards and the collective pluralism of the time. The combination of materials and themes lends his paintings a sculptural quality, blending two-dimensional and three-dimensional elements to offer viewers a profound and thought-provoking artistic experience.

 

Solo Exhibitions
2000 Los Angeles ArtCore, Los Angeles, CA
1997 Nob Gallery, Okazaki, Japan
1996 Mount St. Mary's College, Los Angeles, CA
1994 Nob Gallery, Okazaki, Japan
1992 Nagoya Contemporary Art Fair, Japan
         Space Gallery, Los Angeles, Ca
         Nob Gallery, Okazaki, Japan
1991 Olga Dollar Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1990 Space Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
         Nob Gallery, Okazaki, Japan
         Southern Exposure Galley, San Francisco, CA
1989 Space Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
         Santa Monica City College, CA
1988 Mount St. Mary’s College, Los Angeles, CA
1986 Los Angeles City College, CA
1982 Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
1978 Mount St. Mary’s College, Los Angeles, CA
1974 Institute Barbarani, Verona, Italy
         Los Angeles City College, CA

 

 

Collections
The Contemporary Museum of Art, Permanent Collection, Honolulu, HI
Home Savings and Loan Corporate Collection, Los Angeles, CA
Brand Associates, Brand Galleries, Glendale, CA
Roberts Gallery Collection, Santa Monica, CA
Space Gallery Collection, Los Angeles, CA
Nob Gallery Collection, Nagoya, Japan