Edward Lazansky was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1930. He attended the High School of Music and Art in New York City. Edward received a BFA from Syracuse University in 1952 (Thesis: “Concepts of Space Organization in 17th-Century Netherlandish Painting”), and an MA from Oberlin College in 1954 (Thesis: “The Drawing as an Independent Art Form,” W. Stechow, advisor). He studied painting with Edwin Dickinson at the Art Students’ League in New York after serving in the US Army (1954-56). After receiving the Harriet Hall Woolley scholarship, Edward moved to Paris where he studied with Maurice Brianchon at the École des Beaux-Arts and began doctoral studies with André Chastel at the Sorbonne. He lived next to the Brancusi studio in the Impasse Ronsin, one of the Parisian "cités d'artistes."
When Edward returned to New York, he became involved in the avant-garde theater scene painting and designing sets for the Living Theatre, Theater for the New City, and the Judson Poets’ Theater. As a member of United Scenic Artists, he worked on sets for the New York City Ballet, the New York City Opera, NBC Television, and many feature films.
His work has been exhibited in galleries, juried shows, and museums, including:
Brooklyn Museum of Art
Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, New York
Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio
New Bedford Art Museum, Massachusetts
Woodstock Artists Association
Kleinert/James Art Center, Woodstock, New York
Prince Street Gallery, New York
Coming of age as a figurative painter at a time when conceptual art and abstract expressionism was the trend, Edward persisted with his clear vision of the world around him, interpreting it through his own lens. He had been painting mostly in New York and New England, but his deep interest in geology drew him across the country to the West. A trip to the Grand Canyon opened his eyes to the awesome mystery of the eroding landscape. Its startling display of light, color, pattern, and shape provided inspiration for a series of paintings.
In 2012, Edward retired from an esteemed career at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York where he taught the class Light, Color, and Design since 1967. Previously, he taught at Swain School of Design in New Bedford (now part of the University of Massachusetts), and at Queens College (CUNY).
Ed lived in the historic Maverick Art Colony in Woodstock, New York, where he painted, worked in his garden, played the violin, and was inspired by nature.