Peter Thursby (1930–2011) Modern British Sculptor & Artist

Peter Thursby was a renowned British artist and sculptor, celebrated for his bold, modernist sculptures and his significant contribution to post-war British art. Born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, in 1930 to an Army Officer father, Peter Thursby developed a deep interest in art and design from a young age, as a young boy, spending time in Jamaica. After completing his National Service in the Royal Artillery from 1948 to 1950, he pursued teacher training at St Pauls College in Cheltenham, then his artistic training at the Ruskin School of Art in Oxford and later at the West of England College of Art in Bristol where he studied alongside Paul Feiler and Ernest Pascoe.

In 1956 Peter Thursby married Maureen ‘Mo’ Aspden at Heavitree Church, Exeter, staying together until his passing in 2011. Thursby began exhibiting his work in the late 1950s and quickly established himself as a pioneering figure in abstract sculpture. His early works, often made in bronze or aluminium, reflected his fascination with the relationship between the human form and technological development. As early as 1957 he became a full member of the AIA in London, and a member of the Newlyn Society in 1959.

By the 1960s, Thursby’s sculptures were featured in solo and group exhibitions across the UK and Europe. Throughout his career, Peter Thursby remained dedicated to education, teaching art in schools and colleges in the South West of England. In 1968, he moved to Devon, where he would live and work for the rest of his life. His close connection to the coastal landscape influenced the dynamic energy present in much of his later work.

One of Peter Thursby’s best-known public commissions is the sculpture Energy (1971), created for the entrance of the South West Electricity Board headquarters in Exeter. His works are held in numerous public and private collections, including the Arts Council of Great Britain and the Royal West of England Academy where he was the Chairman from 1995 to 2000.

In addition to his sculptural achievements, Peter Thursby was also a highly skilled draughtsman and painter. Drawing and painting played a vital role in his creative process, particularly in the conceptual stages of his sculptures. His drawings, often executed in ink or pencil, demonstrated a sharp sense of line, balance, and spatial awareness. These preparatory sketches not only helped visualise three-dimensional forms but also stood alone as striking works of modern art.

Peter Thursby’s paintings explored similar themes to his sculptures—motion, form, energy, and structure. Using both oil and acrylic, his two-dimensional work revealed a strong understanding of composition, colour, and abstraction. While lesser known than his sculpture, his paintings and drawings gained recognition later in his career, particularly in retrospective exhibitions that highlighted the breadth of his artistic talent.

Peter Thursby passed away in 2011, leaving behind a legacy as one of Britain’s leading modernist sculptors and artists. Today, interest in Peter Thursby continues to grow, with collectors, galleries, and art historians recognising the lasting impact of his innovative vision across multiple artistic disciplines.

Whether exploring his dynamic forms in bronze or his expressive marks on paper, Peter Thursby remains a significant figure in 20th-century British art history.

Source: Various web based research and articles