{"id":28,"date":"2019-05-09T00:20:45","date_gmt":"2019-05-09T00:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.usnh.edu\/openingcontemporaryart\/chapter\/lillian-f-schwartz\/"},"modified":"2023-06-07T15:24:50","modified_gmt":"2023-06-07T15:24:50","slug":"lillian-f-schwartz","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.usnh.edu\/openingcontemporaryart\/chapter\/lillian-f-schwartz\/","title":{"raw":"Lillian F Schwartz","rendered":"Lillian F Schwartz"},"content":{"raw":"LAURA BORCHERT<\/span>\n\n \n\nLillian F. Schwartz, born in 1927, is a 20th century American artist who is best known for her established work with computers. In 1970 Schwartz had paid homage to Marcel Duchamp\u2019s \u201cNude Descending a Staircase\u201d<\/em> when she had worked on her first computer-appropriation piece. In the mid 1980\u2019s Schwartz had appropriated Van Gogh\u2019s \u201cStarry Night\u201d<\/em>, the purpose of this was so that she could examine Van Gogh\u2019s use of colors and composition. While living in Japan in the early 1950\u2019s Schwartz had become influenced by Utagawa Hiroshige's \u201cOne Hundred Famous Views of Edo\u201d<\/em> after she had studied woodcut works done by Hiroshige, Katsushika Hokusai, and Kitagawa Utamaro.\u00a0\u00b9<\/span>\n\nSchwartz is a pioneer whose life had contained hardships, such as poverty as well as she became paralyzed when she was younger. Schwartz was still getting treated when she found the precise practice of working with pen and ink, from oils to kinetic metals to 2D\/3D. \u00b2<\/span>\n\nSchwartz became inspired by several well known artists, more specifically their artworks, she had studied over the years such as Marcel Duchamp\u2019s \u201cNude Descending a Staircase\u201d, Vincent van Gogh\u2019s \u201cStarry Night\u201d<\/em>, Utagawa Hiroshige's\u00a0<\/span>\u201cOne Hundred Famous Views of Edo\u201d<\/em>, Leonardo da Vinci\u2019s \u201cLast Supper\u201d<\/em>, and various other artists and their work.<\/span><\/span>\n\nWhen it came to working on her first computer-appropriation piece, her homage<\/em> to \u201cNude Descending a Staircase\u201d<\/em> by Marcel Duchamp, Schwartz had had not used imagery that could be identified as Duchamp, and instead had used abstract\u00a0 imagery. According to Schwartz, Duchamp had a \u201cdesire to break up forms-to decompose them much along the lines the cubists had done. But I wanted to go further....\". \u00b9<\/span>\n\nSchwartz had gone on to say that \u201cDuchamp stated that he aimed for a static representation of movement. Since this method of appropriation<\/em> stems from a concept rather than an image, I did not scan Duchamp's \u201cNude\u201d<\/em> into the computer to create \u201cHomage\u201d<\/em>, but constructed my work based on the overall idea of Duchamp's original work. I adapted a program, intended for drawing integrated circuits, to draw triangles in explicit locations\u2026. Just as Duchamp shifted and overlaid a photographed figure to create movement in abstract shapes, I arranged the triangular shapes to represent motion in \u201cHomage\u201d<\/em> to Duchamp\u201d. \u00b9<\/span>\n\nThere were similarities between Schwartz\u2019s homage art piece versus \u201cNude Descending a Staircase\u201d<\/em> but as she had said herself she did not scan Duchamp\u2019s piece into the computer to create her own piece, her work was based on Duchamp\u2019s larger intention of his work.\u00a0[h5p id=\"4\"]<\/span>\n\n \n\nSchwartz said herself that she appropriates artists and their works, for example when she had mentioned appropriating \u201cNude Descending a Staircase\u201d<\/em> and saying that \u201cthis method of appropriation was appropriation of an idea rather than an\u00a0 image\u201d. \u00b9 Although there are some similarities of Schwartz\u2019s \u201cHomage\u201d<\/em> and Duchamp\u2019s \u201cNude Descending a Staircase\u201d<\/em> it is seen more as her getting inspiration, influence, from these artists versus what art appropriation is defined as.<\/span>\n\nHowever, Schwartz's artwork was more than appropriation. Her artwork had shown the effect the advancement of technology over the years and the invention, and history, of the computers has been not only a tool for her and the work she creates, but how technology has continued to affect the art world.<\/span>\n\n\u201cWith each new advance in computer technology I have continued to search for different ways to appropriate ideas, compositions and palettes as sources for inspiration-to create new visual imagery or to study great works of art with the purpose of understanding the artists' intent\u201d. \u00b9 Schwartz uses the technology of computers to get her ideas of art appropriation as well as gets inspired for the new pieces she creates or to study remarkable artists and their own art. \u00a0<\/span>\n\nThrough studying Van Gogh\u2019s \u201cStarry Night\u201d<\/em> Schwartz had found that computers had proven to be very beneficial. Even though she had altered the original piece the \u201cpurity\u201d of the original had not been lost it had been preserved. When Schwartz had color-corrected Picasso's \u201cDemoiselles\u201d<\/em> she had the tools to fix the detail and to remove the color from \u201cDemoiselles\u201d<\/em>. She had been able to adjust the detail and color because of the advancement of computers. When it came to Hiroshige\u2019s woodcut work as well as Van Gogh\u2019s rendition of the woodcut piece Schwartz had arranged the works alongside each other on the computer to compare them and be able to view the work.<\/span>\n\nWhat these examples, as well as other examples, of her work and the work she had been appropriating from as well as had been inspired by, shows when it comes to the history of computer art is how much technology has advanced with the tools we can now use as well as the effect it has on not only the art world but the world as a whole.<\/span>\n\n \n\n \n\nFootnotes:<\/span><\/strong><\/span>\n
    \n \t
  1. Lillian F. Schwartz, \u201cComputers and Appropriation Art: The Transformation of a Work or Idea for a New Creation,\u201d The MIT Press Leonardo, Vol. 29, No. 1 (1996), pg. 43-49<\/span><\/li>\n \t
  2. Lillian F Schwartz. Biography http:\/\/lillian.com\/biography\/<\/a> (2013)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\nVocabulary:<\/span><\/strong><\/span>\n
      \n \t
    1. Homage - \u00a0Something that shows respect or attests to the worth or influence of another (Merriam-Webster)<\/span><\/li>\n \t
    2. Appropriation - \u00a0Intentional borrowing, copying, and alteration of existing images<\/a> and objects. (MoMA)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\nBibliography:<\/span><\/strong><\/span>\n\nSchwartz, Lillian F. \u201cComputers and Appropriation Art: The Transformation of a Work or Idea for a New Creation\u201d https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/pdf\/1576277.pdf?ab_segments=0%252Fdefault-2%252Fcontrol&refreqid=excelsior%3A1cf5166206568a76ba591de287ec1609<\/a> (1996)<\/span>\n\nSchwartz, Lillian F. \u201cBiography\u201d http:\/\/lillian.com\/biography\/<\/a> (2013)<\/span>","rendered":"

      LAURA BORCHERT<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Lillian F. Schwartz, born in 1927, is a 20th century American artist who is best known for her established work with computers. In 1970 Schwartz had paid homage to Marcel Duchamp\u2019s \u201cNude Descending a Staircase\u201d<\/em> when she had worked on her first computer-appropriation piece. In the mid 1980\u2019s Schwartz had appropriated Van Gogh\u2019s \u201cStarry Night\u201d<\/em>, the purpose of this was so that she could examine Van Gogh\u2019s use of colors and composition. While living in Japan in the early 1950\u2019s Schwartz had become influenced by Utagawa Hiroshige’s \u201cOne Hundred Famous Views of Edo\u201d<\/em> after she had studied woodcut works done by Hiroshige, Katsushika Hokusai, and Kitagawa Utamaro.\u00a0\u00b9<\/span><\/p>\n

      Schwartz is a pioneer whose life had contained hardships, such as poverty as well as she became paralyzed when she was younger. Schwartz was still getting treated when she found the precise practice of working with pen and ink, from oils to kinetic metals to 2D\/3D. \u00b2<\/span><\/p>\n

      Schwartz became inspired by several well known artists, more specifically their artworks, she had studied over the years such as Marcel Duchamp\u2019s \u201cNude Descending a Staircase\u201d, Vincent van Gogh\u2019s \u201cStarry Night\u201d<\/em>, Utagawa Hiroshige’s\u00a0<\/span>\u201cOne Hundred Famous Views of Edo\u201d<\/em>, Leonardo da Vinci\u2019s \u201cLast Supper\u201d<\/em>, and various other artists and their work.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      When it came to working on her first computer-appropriation piece, her homage<\/em> to \u201cNude Descending a Staircase\u201d<\/em> by Marcel Duchamp, Schwartz had had not used imagery that could be identified as Duchamp, and instead had used abstract\u00a0 imagery. According to Schwartz, Duchamp had a \u201cdesire to break up forms-to decompose them much along the lines the cubists had done. But I wanted to go further….”. \u00b9<\/span><\/p>\n

      Schwartz had gone on to say that \u201cDuchamp stated that he aimed for a static representation of movement. Since this method of appropriation<\/em> stems from a concept rather than an image, I did not scan Duchamp’s \u201cNude\u201d<\/em> into the computer to create \u201cHomage\u201d<\/em>, but constructed my work based on the overall idea of Duchamp’s original work. I adapted a program, intended for drawing integrated circuits, to draw triangles in explicit locations\u2026. Just as Duchamp shifted and overlaid a photographed figure to create movement in abstract shapes, I arranged the triangular shapes to represent motion in \u201cHomage\u201d<\/em> to Duchamp\u201d. \u00b9<\/span><\/p>\n

      There were similarities between Schwartz\u2019s homage art piece versus \u201cNude Descending a Staircase\u201d<\/em> but as she had said herself she did not scan Duchamp\u2019s piece into the computer to create her own piece, her work was based on Duchamp\u2019s larger intention of his work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Schwartz said herself that she appropriates artists and their works, for example when she had mentioned appropriating \u201cNude Descending a Staircase\u201d<\/em> and saying that \u201cthis method of appropriation was appropriation of an idea rather than an\u00a0 image\u201d. \u00b9 Although there are some similarities of Schwartz\u2019s \u201cHomage\u201d<\/em> and Duchamp\u2019s \u201cNude Descending a Staircase\u201d<\/em> it is seen more as her getting inspiration, influence, from these artists versus what art appropriation is defined as.<\/span><\/p>\n

      However, Schwartz’s artwork was more than appropriation. Her artwork had shown the effect the advancement of technology over the years and the invention, and history, of the computers has been not only a tool for her and the work she creates, but how technology has continued to affect the art world.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201cWith each new advance in computer technology I have continued to search for different ways to appropriate ideas, compositions and palettes as sources for inspiration-to create new visual imagery or to study great works of art with the purpose of understanding the artists’ intent\u201d. \u00b9 Schwartz uses the technology of computers to get her ideas of art appropriation as well as gets inspired for the new pieces she creates or to study remarkable artists and their own art. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Through studying Van Gogh\u2019s \u201cStarry Night\u201d<\/em> Schwartz had found that computers had proven to be very beneficial. Even though she had altered the original piece the \u201cpurity\u201d of the original had not been lost it had been preserved. When Schwartz had color-corrected Picasso’s \u201cDemoiselles\u201d<\/em> she had the tools to fix the detail and to remove the color from \u201cDemoiselles\u201d<\/em>. She had been able to adjust the detail and color because of the advancement of computers. When it came to Hiroshige\u2019s woodcut work as well as Van Gogh\u2019s rendition of the woodcut piece Schwartz had arranged the works alongside each other on the computer to compare them and be able to view the work.<\/span><\/p>\n

      What these examples, as well as other examples, of her work and the work she had been appropriating from as well as had been inspired by, shows when it comes to the history of computer art is how much technology has advanced with the tools we can now use as well as the effect it has on not only the art world but the world as a whole.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Footnotes:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Lillian F. Schwartz, \u201cComputers and Appropriation Art: The Transformation of a Work or Idea for a New Creation,\u201d The MIT Press Leonardo, Vol. 29, No. 1 (1996), pg. 43-49<\/span><\/li>\n
      2. Lillian F Schwartz. Biography http:\/\/lillian.com\/biography\/<\/a> (2013)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Vocabulary:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Homage – \u00a0Something that shows respect or attests to the worth or influence of another (Merriam-Webster)<\/span><\/li>\n
        2. Appropriation – \u00a0Intentional borrowing, copying, and alteration of existing images<\/a> and objects. (MoMA)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Bibliography:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

          Schwartz, Lillian F. \u201cComputers and Appropriation Art: The Transformation of a Work or Idea for a New Creation\u201d https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/pdf\/1576277.pdf?ab_segments=0%252Fdefault-2%252Fcontrol&refreqid=excelsior%3A1cf5166206568a76ba591de287ec1609<\/a> (1996)<\/span><\/p>\n

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