Frederic Matys Thursz


Frederic Matys Thursz was a Moroccan-American abstract painter. His paintings have been shown at the Galerie Lelong, Jefferson Place Gallery, and in the Documenta 9 exhibition.

Career

Thursz received his BFA from Queens College in 1953, his MFA from Columbia University in 1955, and did his doctoral studies in art history at Institut d'Art et d'Archeologie, Paris France. In 1978 he founded the group "Radical Painting" with Jerry Zeniuk, Joseph Marioni, Günther Umberg, and Marcia Hafif.
Thursz taught at University of Kentucky from 1958-1968, and at Aspen School of Contemporary Art from 1967-1969. He taught at Kingsborough Community College from 1968-1991, where he was chairman of the Art Department.
From 1978-1988, he taught at the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture.

Personal life

Thursz was born in Casablanca and moved to the United States with his parents in 1941. He was married three times, Miryam Neulander, Teresea Bennett, Nina Lunenborg Thursz. He had four children Gail Thursz, Isa Ross, Michele Thursz, and Erica Thursz-Rivest and four grandchildren, Derek Ross, Malinda Thursz-Galindo, Jonathan Zuckerman, Ava Zuckerman and great grandson, Xanti Galindo.
Thursz lived in Paris, France until his death in 1992. He died of complications after heart surgery on July 4, 1992 in Cologne, Germany.