Michael Forster | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael Francis Forster May 4, 1907[1] Kolkata, India |
| Died | July 4, 2002 (aged 95)[1] |
| Nationality | British, Canadian |
| Education | |
| Alma mater | |
| Known for | Abstract painting |
| Title | Official war artist |
| Movement | Surrealism |
| Spouse | Adele Davis |
Michael Forster (1907–2002) was an Anglo-Canadian abstract artist. Born in Kolkata, India, Forster spent most of his childhood in Meerut. He studied first at Lancing College in Sussex and then later at the Central School of Arts and Crafts (now Central St. Martins – University of the Arts), as well as the Académie Colarossi in Paris. In 1927–1928, he moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada in hopes of avoiding The Great Depression.
His abstract paintings were created exclusively with acrylics and acrylic polymers, and his work is heavily influenced by the Surrealist movement.[2]: 13 In fact, Forster claimed that he never planned any of his compositions, but rather that they were created according to the demands of his subconscious. Canadian art critic Paul Duval deemed him "Canada's pioneer surrealist."[3]
As a painter, Forster wanted to embody the transference of light and the patterns of nature into instinctive abstract forms. Following in the footsteps of John Constable, he took great inspiration from the ever-changing light and cloud formations of the sky.