David Tomlinson: Light is Colour

Since 1986 art has been a daily devotion for artist David Tomlinson, inspired by all that surrounds him. This retrospective explores the relationship between the artist, dedication to their medium and the subject matters which inspire on a daily basis. The exhibition covers many decades of David’s work orientated around the people, buildings, places and spaces of Burnley.

Tomlinson lived in the Burnley Wood area for the majority of his life and saw huge changes unfold in the built environment and community which he set out to document. During this time he fought against the destruction of buildings and the local community through art; expressing passion and disillusionment. He initiated a community led approach to teaching art, meeting weekly to create art and bonding together with local residents.

The most recent body of work includes landscapes, portrait, self portrait, still life on both paper and canvas. In this exhibition David has chosen works from the Towneley Hall collection which resonate with his style and methods of working.

This emotive and unique body of work depicts Tomlinson’s development as an artist, as a human, as his therapy and as a community collaborator. 

A recent painting by David was chosen to be included in the exhibition from the 2020 lock down series screened on Channel 4, Grayson’s Art Club and exhibited at Manchester Art Gallery.

Find more of David’s work on instagram