In the mid-1960s Dave Pearson was beginning work lecturing on the Foundation Course of Manchester School of Art. He moved to Haslingden, starting work inspired by the life and work of Vincent Van Gogh. This was inspired by seeing Vincente Minelli’s film ‘Lust for Life’, but also finding a copy of ‘the Symbolic Language of Vincent Van Gogh’ by H.R. Graetz. Pearson threw himself into the subject and worked in a wide range of techniques, from large scale models in papier-mâché of Van Gogh’s key works such as ‘The Bedroom’, through etchings, dry-points, collages, drawings and paintings, and even performance pieces (with Bob Frith) and inflatables.
Within this subject matter Pearson found a staggering number of ways to explore the Van Gogh material. But by 1970 the work had tended to become more painterly and more and more of the output, especially the prints, were based on observation of Pearson’s local landscape around Haslingden, which became the setting for many of Van Gogh’s characters and motifs.
