Mazur Michael
Michael Mazur (1935-2009) was a distinguished American painter and printmaker, renowned for his ability to balance the narrative power of observation with the expressive potential of gesture. Born in New York City, Mazur’s artistic inclinations were evident from his school days at Horace Mann School in the Bronx, where he founded an art club alongside future luminaries such as cartoonist Ed Koren and curator Henry Geldzahler. His early exposure to the art world included working as a studio assistant to painter Alan Ullman in Greenwich Village.
Mazur pursued formal education in the arts, taking a year off from Amherst College to study at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence in 1957. This period was foundational, as it tested his resolve to live as an artist—a decision that was both challenging and affirmative. Upon returning to the United States, he completed his education, receiving a BFA and an MFA from Yale School of Art and Architecture in 1960 and 1961, where he studied under notable figures such as Josef Albers and Fairfield Porter.
Mazur’s career spanned five decades, throughout which he explored themes of social documentation, psychological portraiture, and landscapes that oscillated between figuration and abstraction. His artistic expression was deeply influenced by his experiences, such as volunteering at a psychiatric hospital, which inspired the celebrated “Closed Ward” print project (1961-1966).
Mazur’s work garnered significant attention from prestigious institutions; his first solo exhibition was at the Barone Gallery in New York in 1961. His participation in major exhibitions like the Whitney Museum’s “Young Americans” and the Museum of Modern Art further cemented his reputation as a pivotal figure in contemporary art.
An exhibition of Edgar Degas’s monotypes in 1968 inspired Mazur to experiment prolifically with the medium. This exploration led to critical acclaim and deepened his artistic range.
Settling in Cambridge, MA, in 1964, Mazur held teaching positions at institutions like the Rhode Island School of Design and Brandeis University. His proximity to the era’s student unrest fueled his political activism, which permeated his work, including the “Stoneham Zoo Series” and his illustrations of Dante’s “Inferno.”
Mazur’s commitment to social justice was evident when he declined an invitation to participate in the Venice Biennale as a protest against governmental injustices.
In his later years, Mazur’s style became more impressionistic, influenced by Chinese landscape traditions. His work from this period reflects a deeply personal and abstracted vision, characterized by a relaxed yet surprising aesthetic.
Mazur spent part of his life in Provincetown, contributing significantly to the Fine Arts Work Center. His legacy is preserved in numerous prominent museum collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
His contributions to the art world are documented in “The Prints of Michael Mazur,” a catalogue raisonné published in 2000, which chronicles his works from 1956-1999.
Michael Mazur passed away in 2009, leaving behind a rich legacy that continues to inspire and influence the art community globally. His work remains a testament to his profound ability to merge observation with abstraction and his unwavering commitment to exploring the depths of human experience through art.
