Terry Frost RA

Sir Terry Frost RA 1915 - 2003

Terence Earnest Manitou Frost was born in Leamington Spa in 1915, and after local schooling took a series of jobs mostly in retail outlets, whilst at the same time studying drawing at night school. During the Second World War he served in France and the Middle East and was eventually captured in Crete. From there he was transferred to a prisoner of war camp in Bavaria where he developed his interest in art and produced many portraits of his fellow prisoners. He also met Adrian Heath (graduate of the Slade School) in the camps, who encouraged him to keep on with his art. On his return to England Frost enrolled at Camberwell School of Art. After his marriage to Kathleen Clarke he moved to Cornwall and the avant-garde art community centred on St. Ives. He continued his links with Camberwell where he was influenced by the dialogue between two lecturers, Coldstream, a figurative painter, and Pasmore, who favoured the abstract. Frost's work gradually became more abstract, encouraged by Ben Nicholson among others. He later moved to Leeds to take up a University post and also taught at the College of Art there, becoming increasingly recognised as a leading abstract artist. He returned to St Ives in 1958 and then travelled widely in the USA. He also taught at Coventry Art College until 1981. He was elected to the Royal Academy in 1992 and knighted in 1998.