home » Contemporary Artists » Sir Terry Frost

Sir Terry Frost

Sir Terry Frost RA (1915-2003) was a giant of British abstract Art. Born in Leamington Spa in 1915, Frost left school at the age of 14 and worked at Curry's Cycle shop and then Armstrong Whitworth in Coventry until the outbreak of war. He served in countries as diverse as Palestine and Greece, before being captured in 1941. Frost remained a prisoner until the end of the war, an experience that changed his outlook on life and introduced him to the possibilities of art. In prison camp in Bavaria Frost began to paint and draw, encouraged by young artist and fellow prisoner Adrian Heath.

'In prisoner-of-war camp I got tremendous spiritual experience, a more aware or heightened perception during starvation, and I honestly do not think that awakening has ever left me.'

On his return to Britain Frost moved to St. Ives in Cornwall, to be amongst the burgeoning artistic community there. Excluding brief stints in other locations, St. Ives and its local environs was where Frost lived and worked for the rest of his life. His work reflects the inspiration he found in the Cornish light, glittering seas and watery reflections. He attended the St. Ives School of Art before spending 1947-50 commuting to London in order to attend the Camberwell School of Art. His early work was figurative; it was influence of Victor Pasmore at Camberwell combined with that of Ben Nicholson that led Frost to paint his first abstract painting on 1949.

Frost worked as Barbara Hepworth's assistant in 1951 and had his first solo exhibition at the Leicester Galleries in 1952. Frost taught at many institutions including the Bath Academy of Art (1952-4), Leeds University (who awarded him he was the Gregory Fellowship in 1954) and Reading University. In 1960 Frost had his first solo show in New York at the Barbara Schaefer Gallery, whilst there he met some of the leading American Abstract Expressionists, this experience encouraged him to start painting on a much larger scale. He was awarded the John Moore's Prize in 1965, elected to the Royal Academy in 1992 and knighted in 1998. A retrospective of his work was held at the Royal Academy in 2000.

Frost's work reflects his gratitude and joie de vivre at having survived wartime incarceration; it is full of colour, light and the pleasure of existence 'a sense of delight in front of nature'. Frost took his inspiration from nature; the sun, moon, water, boats and the female form are recurring motifs abstracted into sensuous circles and curves. These shapes are often coloured in dramatic blues, reds, oranges, yellows and blacks. Frost believed that the interplay of colour and shape could realise an event or image more successfully than imitation. He combined strict formal discipline with great expressive freedom and a natural sureness of touch.

click to close

Sir Terry Frost Prints

Arrange :

Sun and Boats
610 mm X 640 mm
£ 1,500.00
Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries
430 mm X 595 mm
Sold Out
Lilac and Red Tolcarne
490 mm X 870 mm
£ 4,000.00
Vertical Rhythms
707 mm X 710 mm
Sold Out

Black Moon and Ochre
724 mm X 856 mm
£ 3,500.00
Black Sun Dipper
465 mm X 866 mm
£ 3,500.00
Spring Spiral
755 mm X 755 mm
£ 3,500.00
Five Black Moons
705 mm X 865 mm
£ 3,500.00

Carlyon Sunshine
660 mm X 610 mm
£ 2,950.00
Blue Red Black Vertical Rhythm
365 mm X 372 mm
£ 1,750.00
Love Tree
830 mm X 1020 mm
£ 3,500.00
Lizard Black II
715 mm X 727 mm
£ 2,450.00

Red on Yellow Rhythm
325 mm X 810 mm
£ 2,100.00
Blue Brad
837 mm X 290 mm
£ 1,100.00
Swing Rhythm
871 mm X 640 mm
£ 3,500.00
Sun Tree
620 mm X 610 mm
£ 3,500.00

Vertical Rhythm II
706 mm X 713 mm
£ 3,500.00
Spanish Dreams
320 mm X 600 mm
£ 1,250.00
Spirals
358 mm X 499 mm
£ 1,700.00
Centre Blue
790 mm X 1140 mm
£ 3,500.00

Blue Love tree
610 mm X 1002 mm
£ 2,950.00
Blue Circle
550 mm X 740 mm
£ 2,500.00
Long Red Yellow Black
785 mm X 305 mm
£ 2,200.00
Black Circle
750 mm X 310 mm
£ 1,900.00

Three for Two
300 mm X 435 mm
£ 1,900.00
Swing on Blue
300 mm X 435 mm
£ 1,900.00
Swing blue
395 mm X 600 mm
£ 1,900.00
Orange green and blue rhythm
420 mm X 650 mm
£ 1,250.00

Orange and Blue Space
485 mm X 480 mm
£ 1,500.00
Malaga Blue and Orange
500 mm X 490 mm
£ 1,900.00
It's a Good Space
445 mm X 480 mm
£ 1,700.00
Development of a Square within a Square (Red)
585 mm X 585 mm
£ 995.00

Development of a Square within a Square (Orange)
585 mm X 585 mm
£ 995.00
Development of a Square within a Square(green)
585 mm X 585 mm
£ 995.00
Development of a Square within a Square (Blue)
585 mm X 585 mm
£ 995.00
Blue and Lemon
670 mm X 400 mm
£ 1,550.00

Blue and Green verticals
640 mm X 450 mm
£ 1,900.00