Interview with Chayim Shvarzblat
Please introduce yourself to us.
I’m Chayim Shvarzblat from Lakewood, New Jersey. I’m an academic painter and art creator in various fields.
What are your favorite themes for the composition of your paintings, and how much does the choice of theme depend on the wishes of your clients?
Chayim Shvarzblat: Fine art is a huge area that offers great possibilities for creation as well as many fine arts techniques. I personally prefer real art, but I also love abstract art. I also practice a very rare technique – pyrography (drawing by fire), but of course, orders have a huge impact on my artwork.
You were painting even before you graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts. Is there a big difference between self-taught painters and academy painters?
Chayim Shvarzblat: The highlight of every work and especially for us artists is the “review of personal work”, ie the organization of an exhibition of fine artworks. So far I have exhibited at many cultural and social events in our community, but I also plan to organize an exhibition of all my works from the last five years.
Chayim Shvarzblat: The difference is, of course, that the knowledge you had as a self-taught painter is sufficient only as a driving force for further work and the need to study and graduate from an Art Academy, after which you slowly mature into a true artist.
To what extent does society in your environment has a sense of art, and is education a way to enhance your relationship with culture, or is it necessary to invest in other forms of incentives?
Chayim Shvarzblat: Our society is still developing in terms of visual literacy, which certainly influences the evaluation of fine arts. Every form of education in this field is very important both in understanding and in the stimulation of visual creativity.
You have also worked as a professor. Are there many talented kids for painting?
Chayim Shvarzblat: As I said before, one of the better ways to encourage and develop a love for art is education. There are a number of students who are talented in the field of fine arts, but due to a lack of understanding of the environment, society, and the conditions in which we live, their “talent ends” after high school and elementary school.
Can you organize a solo exhibition and where would be a good place to do it?
Chayim Shvarzblat: The highlight of every work and especially for us artists is the “review of personal work”, ie the organization of an exhibition of fine artworks. So far I have exhibited at many cultural and social events in our community, but I also plan to organize an exhibition of all my works from the last five years.