Biography

Michael Burton Mazur was an influential American artist known for his work as a printmaker, painter, and sculptor. Born in 1935 in New York City, Mazur was educated at the Horace Mann School and later attended Amherst College, where he earned his bachelor's degree in 1958. He further honed his artistic skills at Yale University. Mazur first gained attention with his lithographs and etchings depicting inmates in mental asylums, which were published in the collections "Closed Ward" and "Locked Ward." His work in printmaking and painting evolved over the years, with notable projects including a series of large-scale prints for Dante's Inferno, which received critical acclaim and were exhibited in a traveling show organized by the University of Iowa in 1994. Mazur's later works focused on large, lyrical paintings characterized by free, gestural brushwork and a diverse palette. His contributions to the art world were recognized in exhibitions such as "Looking East: Brice Marden, Michael Mazur, and Pat Steir" at Boston University in 2002. His prints are part of the permanent collections of prestigious institutions like the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the British Museum. Mazur was also a dedicated educator, actively involved with the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts. He passed away in 2009, leaving behind a legacy of innovative and thought-provoking art.