Background
Thursz was born in Casablanca, Morocco, on July 7, 1930. After tensions in Morocco were beginning to escalate during World War II, he moved to the United States with his parents, Jonathan Thursz and Franka Thursz, in 1941.
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Frederic Thursz was educated at Queens College, from which he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1953.
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In 1955 Thursz completed his education at Columbia University with a Master of Fine Arts degree.
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Thursz did his doctoral studies in art history at the Institute of Art and Archeology in 1957.
Lexington, KY 40506, USA
Frederic Matys Thursz held a teaching position at the University of Kentucky from 1958 to 1968.
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He was a professor at Kingsborough Community College (CUNY) from 1968 till 1991, where he also held the position of a chairman of the Art Department.
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During 1978-1988, he gave lectures at the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting, and Sculpture.
Frederic Matys Thursz in his later years.
Thursz was born in Casablanca, Morocco, on July 7, 1930. After tensions in Morocco were beginning to escalate during World War II, he moved to the United States with his parents, Jonathan Thursz and Franka Thursz, in 1941.
Frederic Thursz was educated at Queens College, from which he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1953. He was later drafted into military service during the Korean War, where he served in the art department, designing posters in support of the war effort. His service allowed him to pursue his studies. In 1955 he completed his education at the Columbia University with a Master of Fine Arts degree. Thursz did his doctoral studies in art history at the Institute of Art and Archeology in Paris, France, in 1957.
Frederic Matys Thursz settled in Lexington. He held a teaching position at the University of Kentucky from 1958 to 1968. The artist entered the Jefferson Place Gallery with a load of paintings under his arm. Alice Denney, its director, was interested in his artworks and offered him a one-man exhibition in the fall of 1959. Thursz exhibited with the gallery through 1962, receiving mostly favorable reviews from local critics.
Later he taught at Aspen School of Contemporary Art between 1967 and 1969. He was a professor at Kingsborough Community College (CUNY) from 1968 till 1991, where he also held the position of a chairman of the Art Department. During 1978-1988, he gave lectures at the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting, and Sculpture.
In 1978 Frederic Matys Thursz founded the group "Radical Painting" together with Jerry Zeniuk, Günther Umberg, Joseph Marioni and Marcia Hafif.
Frederic Matys Thursz achieved his deep, luminous colours by applying layer after layer of paint, scraping, glazing and reworking the surface. His artistic development was linked with both the New York School, especially Mark Rothko, and the postwar School of Paris, in particular, Jean Fautrier.
Thursz was married three times. Nina Lunenborg Thursz, his third wife, was also an artist. He fathered four children from two previous marriages, Gail, Erica, Elizabeth Thursz Ross, and Michele Thursz Tryba.