Tibor Spitz

Tibor Spitz is a Jewish painter of Slovak origin. Currently he lives in Kingston, NY.

Biography

Tibor Spitz was born in a small village in the high mountains of northern Slovakia which was than part of Czechoslovakia. His father was a cantor for a small Jewish community, mother was a teacher. He survived the Holocaust. Studied in Prague. Emigrated to Canada and then moved to USA.

From: www.tiborspitz.com (exhibition data updated)

Tibor Spitz was born in Slovak part of Czechoslovakia that kept changing from democracy to a Fascist Nazi regime followed by the Soviet style communism. Because of his Jewish origin, between the ages 10 to 15 he was not allowed to attend public schools and for three years (based on laws issued by the former Fascist Slovak Republic) he was doomed to die. He was 12 when almost all his deported relatives were murdered in Nazi death camps in nearby Poland. After merely surviving the Holocaust he wanted to study art as did his older brother. However, the already established communist regime arranged for him to study chemistry. After graduation he worked as an engineer and a Ph.D. scientist in both Czech glass research institutions and industry. In 1968 when he was returning to complete his two years assignment in Cuban glass industry, he and his wife Noemi took the opportunity to escape to the West during their airplane refueling stop in Canada. After nine years working there they moved to the USA. 30 years in glass industry had been followed by 14 years as scientist and inventor developing hi-tech magnetic recording heads for computers and VCRs. His scientific papers and granted patents were published ‘in seven countries in four languages’.

Suppressed memories of his tragic childhood experiences required an outlet only artistic expression could fully provide. Such freedom was not allowed in a communist country where he lived after WWII. While living in many places in Canada and the USA, next to his scientific and technical works he always remained active in art. The unusually creative artistic environment in both Kingston and nearby Woodstock, NY turned him into a professional artist. As his growing interest in art continued, besides painting he has been also sculpting, making ceramics, woodcarvings and wood burnings. When he discovered that impressionists have not exhausted all their historic possibilities, his painting techniques gradually gravitated toward pointillism and neo-impressionism. Besides initial hounding faces and figurative scenes associated with Holocaust, Judaism and Jewish mysticism he also added fishing scenes, musicians, horses and landscapes. College curses as well as directions from his mentor Meyer Lieberman were great help in developing his artistic skills.

His art was exhibited in many solo and group shows. Galleries, museums, schools, colleges as well as cultural, scientific, religious and public institutions were interested in his both presentations and exhibitions. Slide show can be seen at http://b-inet.com/TIBOR. During last decades, solo exhibitions of his paintings were held in New Jersey, New York, Canada (Toronto), four times in his native Slovakia and last year in Prague, Czech Republic (34 paintngs). In 2008 his solo shows took place at both Art Society of Kingston ASK (31 paintings) and HCT (14 paintings).

In 1997 an American art historian included his biography in his book. A USA film maker is finishing a documentary movie about his life and art. A Canadian drama director used his paintings in her new book (2008). There have been dozens of media reports published in several countries describing his achievements.

He paints because he has to. He believes that the world is beautiful, however painful life might sometimes become. His art covers many facets of it.