Coal Breakers

Thrash was born in Griffin, Georgia, wanted to be an artist from the time he was a young boy. In 1937, Thrash joined the government-sponsored Federal Arts Project as a seasoned printmaker, and worked for Philadelphia's Fine Print Workshop division. During his first year at the Workshop, Thrash discovered that carborundum, a granular substance made of silicon crystals and carbon, typically used to resurface or remove images from lithographic stones, was an excellent medium for preparing the surfaces of copper printing plates. This discovery significantly impacted the art of printmaking because of the dramatic tonal effects artists were able to achieve using the technique. Although Thrash focused primarily on portraits early in his career, after he found his niche in printmaking, he expanded his imagery to include works depicting contemporary issues, particularly images reflecting the social evolution of African Americans during the first half of the twentieth century.

aCoal Breakers

Thrash was born in Griffin, Georgia, wanted to be an artist from the time he was a young boy. In 1937, Thrash joined the government-sponsored Federal Arts Project as a seasoned printmaker, and worked for Philadelphia’s Fine Print Workshop division. During his first year at the Workshop, Thrash discovered that carborundum, a granular substance made of silicon crystals and carbon, typically used to resurface or remove images from lithographic stones, was an excellent medium for preparing the surfaces of copper printing plates. This discovery significantly impacted the art of printmaking because of the dramatic tonal effects artists were able to achieve using the technique. Although Thrash focused primarily on portraits early in his career, after he found his niche in printmaking, he expanded his imagery to include works depicting contemporary issues, particularly images reflecting the social evolution of African Americans during the first half of the twentieth century.