Sir Terry Frost RA - Brief History

Sir Terry Frost RA was one of the forerunners of abstract painting in the UK, and his passionate use of lines and circles in his work has a wide appeal.

Born in 1915, Frost approached art relatively late in life, having worked in a variety of jobs before he was called to fight in the Second World War. He described experiencing "a spiritual awakening a heightened perception during starvation" when he was taken as a prisoner of war in Bavaria. During this time he met the artist Adrian Heath who encouraged his painting. Upon his return to England he used his ex-Serviceman's grant to enrol at the Camberwell School of Art, and then the St. Ives School of Art.

In 1951 he worked as an assistant to the sculptor Barbara Hepworth, and later taught at the Bath Academy of Art, Leeds University, and Reading University. He was elected to the Royal Academy of Arts in 1992, and granted a knighthood in 1998. In 2000 the Royal Academy held a major retrospective of Sir Terry Frost's work; entitled 'Terry Frost: 6 Decades'.

Sir Terry Frost RA continued to live and work in Cornwall until his sad death in September, 2003. His work continues to grow in popularity today, and is held in many corporate and private collections throughout the world.