Lillian Schwartz, a visionary artist whose groundbreaking work in computer-generated art revolutionised the field, has died at the age of 97. Her passing was confirmed by Kristen Gallerneaux, curator at the Henry Ford Museum, where Schwartz’s extensive archive is housed.
Schwartz’s innovative approach transformed traditional painting into digital creations, using computers to craft warping forms and intricate grids. By embracing computer technologies, she carried forward the abstract experiments of early 20th-century modernists. Among her many achievements was becoming the first female artist in residence at Bell Labs, a milestone that led her to propose a revolutionary theory regarding Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. She was among the rare female artists to exhibit alongside her male contemporaries during the 1960s, carving a space for herself in the male-dominated art world.
Despite being a key figure in the digital art movement, her influence was often overlooked in the broader art scene. That narrative, however, began to change in recent years.
In 2022, Schwartz, one of the oldest participants, was included in the Venice Biennale—a testament to her enduring relevance across generations.
“I’m using the technology of today because it says what’s going on in society today,” Schwartz once told the New York Times. “Ignoring the computer would be ignoring a large part of our world.”
Born Lillian Feldman in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1927, she grew up in a family of 13 siblings in modest circumstances. Her parents, poor and Jewish, faced antisemitism in the neighbourhood, leading the family to relocate to Clifton. Tragedy followed them, with their dog killed in an antisemitic act. To shield her children from further hardships, Schwartz’s mother allowed them to stay home from school once a week, during which time young Lillian developed a love for sculpting and drawing.
At just 13, Schwartz took on a job in a dress shop to support her family, and at 16, she enrolled in nursing school. It was there that she met Jack Schwartz, a doctor she would later marry, and together they moved to Japan in 1948, where she contracted polio. During her recovery, Schwartz studied calligraphy and meditation with a Zen Buddhist teacher, honing her ability to visualise art mentally before creating it—a skill she would later apply in her computer-based work.
After returning to the United States in the 1950s, Schwartz immersed herself in painting but soon diverged from traditional methods. By the 1960s, she began creating sculptures from unconventional materials like bronze and cement, experimenting with backlighting and laminated paintings.
Her pivotal moment came in 1968 with the exhibition of Proxima Centauri at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The piece, a collaboration with Per Biorn, used a plastic dome and ripple effects to captivate audiences, earning her widespread recognition.
Later that year, Schwartz was invited to Bell Labs by Leon D. Harmon, a researcher in perception and computer technology. Her experience at the Labs ignited a passion for computer-generated art, a medium she explored for decades. One of her first works, Pixillation (1970), incorporated computer-generated images with footage of crystals, creating a vibrant visual spectacle. Subsequent films, like UFOs (1971), featured laser beams and microphotography, showcasing her versatility with emerging technologies.
Despite her contributions, Schwartz was not initially employed by Bell Labs but carried the title of “Resident Visitor.” Her work, however, was publicly celebrated, and in 1986, she gained international attention when she theorised that Leonardo da Vinci had used his own likeness to model the Mona Lisa. This bold claim earned her a feature on CBS and, eventually, an official contract at Bell Labs as a consultant in computer graphics.
Schwartz’s enduring impact on art and technology is undeniable. Her book The Computer Artist’s Handbook, co-authored with her son Laurens, remains a foundational text for those exploring the intersection of art and technology. Reflecting on her journey, Schwartz told the New York Times in 1975, “I didn’t think of myself as an artist for a long time. It just sort of grew.