Hey there, I’m Robert Schwartz. I’m a Glass Artist and Designer working out of Canberra Australia.

I am an American glass artist currently working out of the Canberra Glassworks as a glass blowing instructor . I received my Master of Visual Arts (Advanced) degree from the School of Art and Design, Australian National University. I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Glass and Visual Communications from Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana. Before coming to Australia I completed an internship at STARworks, Star, North Carolina, and worked as a production glass blower at Flame Run Studio and Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky. 

Since arriving in Australia, I have assisted various artists at the Canberra Glassworks and the School of Art. I was commissioned by the New South Wales Roads and Maritime Services for blown glass components as part of a refurbishing project around the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Some of my work can be found in the Canberra Glassworks permanent collection. I hope to remain in Australia as a permanent resident, to continue my glass art practice.

abstract

My work explores the properties of glass, to activate a dialogue between natural phenomena and the man-made. Reflecting on the ways structural design in contemporary architecture draws inspiration from nature, I use biomimicry as a point of departure. I am particularly interested in the way soap bubbles connect to each other, and create a unique framework. Combining my passion for glass blowing with this approach to systems in nature, I create works that merge the materiality and property of glass with the structure of soap bubbles.