Customers can pick up an original artwork from Pretty Urban’s first exhibition at the Salt Market’s Loading Bay on the Fish Quay in North Shields.
David Jackson is the modest yet highly personable Tyneside artist behind Pretty Urban. A skilled photographer, he speaks passionately about finding beauty within the decay of the neglected and broken parts of a city.
Running until 31 August 2025
Prices: £45 to £780
Loading Bay, Salt Market Social, 1 Liddell Street, North Shields NE30 1HE
The colourful, captivating pieces sit perfectly within the Salt Market’s industrial-chic setting. The extra-large canvases, suspended from the ceiling beams on chains, are particularly knock out and everything in the exhibition is now available to buy.
Exploring the forgotten corners of an area, he might capture the graffiti on a boarded window or the peeling paint on a broken doorway. He mentally edits, zooms in then photographs the hyper-detail and suddenly the neglected urban becomes instantly pretty.
The resulting images are turned into high quality giclee prints that feel wonderfully abstract. Some even appear textured, the eye being deceived at the capture of years’ worth of paint peeled back to expose the shade which came before.
Despite such incredible colours, David explained that he does not use Photoshop or colour editing. Proof of what a remarkable eye he has for discovering these tiny fragments of beauty in a drab, neglected landscape.
But it’s not all serious stuff and David has enjoyed giving each of his artworks a playful title such as Crying at the Discotheque, Shy Bairns and Hey Susan!
Though a relatively new venture, Pretty Urban is quickly on the rise. Founded in 2024 after David took a leap of faith and left behind a 20-year career in teaching, the brand now has a permanent shop at Sandyford’s Flea Circus and sells artwork through Gosforth’s De.co and Jesmond’s Nucasa lifestyle stores.
After receiving commission requests, David has also collaborated with Gail Tremble-Wilson of Lottie’s Hoard, printing his designs on fabric to create lampshades and soft furnishings.
An advocate for “keeping it local,” David chooses to have his work printed at Digitalab on Norham Road and framed by Thompson Art on Albion Road rather than using the bigger on-line businesses.
He prefers the face-to-face interactions and the personal touch of shopping local and any chance for a chat!
He is thriving in his new creative community and, with support from people like Salt Market’s Barney Miller who gave him this chance to stage his first exhibition, his confidence is slowly starting to grow.
Such encouragement, combined with commissions and requests for bespoke pieces, has reassured David that taking the leap to go solo was absolutely the right one.
Instagram: @prettyurban_gallery
