David Barrow

David Barrow was born in 1959, in Parbold and spent his formative years there. Then moving to Wigan, he began painting seriously at the age of 19. Proud of his hometown, David’s work has developed in style over the years, yet remains consistently autobiographical and nostalgic. 

David has vividly captured Wigan and Parbold in a number of well-regarded oil paintings. They show the heritage of where he grew up and raised his own family. David’s paintings have been featured five times in the Summer exhibition at the Royal Academy, and he has also exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy of Fine Art.

David is probably best known for his Wigan Casino and Northern Soul paintings. As a teenager, David Barrow was a regular at the Wigan Casino. David has produced a series of paintings that depicted the Northern Soul Scene of the late 1970s. Likened to Dickens with the London times and like Lowry’s mill scenes, he created a unique atmospheric vibe of then and now and was proclaimed by The Observer as the ‘Degas of Northern Soul’. These pictures have become extremely popular and his work is now widely collected around the world. Examples are now owned by: Paul Weller, Ocean Colour Scene, The University of Music USA and the Tamla Motown Museum in Detroit USA.

Exhibitors of work
Manchester Academy Fine Arts, Royal Scottish Academy, Royal Academy London, Salford Art Gallery, Mall Galleries London, Royal Society of portrait Painters, Newcastle City Art Gallery, O2 Arena London, Turn Pike Gallery, Salisbury Art Gallery.

Collections
University of Music, Michigan USA, the world famous Tamla Motown Museum, Detroit USA.

Commissions
Ocean Colour Scene “Live at the Jam House” and “Live at the Town Hall” album covers. 
Pencilled artwork and drawings featured throughout the “Soul Boy” movie.