Bio
Michael Schur was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1932. He died in September 2016 in Johannesburg.
Michael's earliest paintings were influenced by the flying buttresses of Gothic Architecture, using strong effects inspired by elements of stained-glass windows. Later his love of music became dominant in his paintings and this added rhythmic movement to them as may be seen in his brush strokes. Colour and texture play an important part in this approach as do strong compositional lines. He uses the underpainting process whereby he starts with earth colours, then building the painting up, layer by layer. The underlying colour affects the top layers as it reflects through them.
His choice of subjects, for example musicians and dancing figures, likewise, lends itself readily to this procedure. It is a technique that is slowly becoming a lost art. In landscapes, however, he uses lines and planes of colour in such a way as to perpetuate the rhythmical movement found in nature. All through his work, texture and layer-painting help to provide a backdrop to this flowing motion. Perspective in his oil paintings is not only to be found in linear effect, but can be displayed through layer painting.
Education
1954:
Studied with Erik Laubscher (student of Fernand Leger) at the Contemporary School of Art in Cape Town - later at the Ruth Prowse Art Centre, under Laubscher.
1955:
Studied with Alfred Krenz in Cape Town.
1956:
Studied with Zoltan Borbereki when he first arrived in Cape Town from Budapest, Hungary.
1957 - 1958:
In London he studied at the St. Martins College of Art. Also part-time studied at the Aldermaston College in England
2005:
Accepted as a member of the Ku-ring-gai Art Society in Sydney, Australia
Themes
Private and Public Collections
His paintings are in private collections here and overseas. In Israel, the Municipality of Petach Tikva acquired a painting for their collection.
Themes
Landscapes, street scenes, musical figures and seascapes.
Johannesburg
At present he teaches art in his private studio and over the years has assisted and prepared students to enter Wits University, as well as the Technicon Art School. He taught at Progress School in Pimville from January 1982 untill the first quarter of 1983.
College Lecturer
He was on the staff of Manu Technical College, Dobsonville, where for some years he lectured in printing technology. He also studied printing as a profession some years ago, working in Cape Town, Johannesburg and London. He also lectured in Industrial Communications.
