Schwartz studied photography at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy from 1995 to 1998, and has since taught there for several years, including during a period as head of the Photography department (2004–10). His awards include the Esther Kroon Award (1998) and the Cobra Kunstprijs Amstelveen (2007). He was one of the artists who participated in Aperta/Loose Work, the official Dutch entry for the Venice Biennale (2011).