Sir Terry Frost RA

British 1915-2003

Sir Terry Frost RA was one of Britain's most successful and highly acclaimed artists of the Twentieth Century. His colourful and exuberant paintings gave a popular dimension to the landscape-orientated abstract art produced by the post-war St Ives artist colony.
He was born 13 October 1915 at Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. He left school at fourteen but attended evening classes in art at the age of sixteen. During this time he had a variety of jobs, including working in a cycle shop and the paint workshop of an aircraft factory.
At the outbreak of war he joined up, serving as a Commando until he was captured in Crete in 1941. He was later transferred to Stalag 383 in Bavaria. Here he joined the painting classes run by fellow PoWs, a fellow inmate, the Slade-trained painter Adrian Heath helped him discover his artistic talent during the four years he spent as a Prisoner of War.
On his return to England he studied at the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts enjoying the flourishing artistic scenes of London and St Ives. In 1945 he married Kathleen Clarke. By the late 1950's Sir Terry Frost had become established as a leading abstract painter exhibiting regularly in London and throughout the world. From the mid 1950’s he was also involved in academia teaching at various UK universities.
In 1974 Sir Terry Frost RA moved permanently to Newlyn in Cornwall where his love of the region proved a rich source of inspiration for much of his work. He was elected a Royal Academician by the Royal Academy of Arts in 1992 and received a knighthood in 1998.
Sir Terry Frost died on 1st September 2003.