Six decades of music, fashion and youth culture in Yorkshire inspire Harrogate artist's latest collection

An award-winning artist says she has had a “fantastic response” to her latest nostalgic collection of paintings which bring the sights and sounds of the Harrogate area of the 1970s and 80s wonderfully back to life.

Claire Baxter, whose gallery is located in Knaresborough, began her road to artistic success at Harrogate College where she studied art and design.

The Look of Love by Claire Baxter - New Romantics gather outside Harrogate's much-missed Old Market Hall in the 1980s. (Picture contributed)

Six years ago she was appointed the Official Artist for Tour de Yorkshire but was sad to see the event being cancelled during the Covid pandemic.

But Claire’s nearly 20-year career has successfully continued, with highlights including reaching the final of the UK Most Popular Published Artist in 2022 and running her own galleries.

Anarchy by Claire Baxter - Punks stop for fish and chips outside the long-demolished Knaresborough bus station in the 1970s. (Picture contributed)

Created over five months, Bygone Yorkshire’s colourful and vibrant paintings explore six decades of music, fashion and youth culture, capturing the subcultures that defined each generation.

From Teddy Boys in Saltaire to Mods, Punks, New Romantics, 1990s Pop and Goth, each painting combines an era with a real Yorkshire setting transformed by time.

"There has been such a fantastic response to the Bygone collection,” said Claire.

"Each painting uses a real location that has been transformed by time; some have disappeared, some have changed beyond recognition.

"I'm particularly interested in the memories these places trigger - the music people listened to, the clothes they wore and where they went when they were young.

"The paintings have had many people reminiscing and I've heard stories of who used to work, socialise or met partners in the places I have depicted."

The launch exhibition at Claire Baxter Fine Art Gallery at Castlegate in Knaresborough was a huge success.

Two of Claire Baxter’s six paintings in the Bygone Harrogate collection stood out, in particular.

Anarchy portrays the 1970s in Knaresborough with punks stopping for fish and chips outside the long-demolished Knaresborough bus station.

The Look of Love captures 1980s Harrogate with New Romantics gathering outside Harrogate's much-missed Old Market Hall.

Other paintings which take a visual journey through Yorkshire from the 1950s to the 2000s are located Saltaire, Leeds, Scarborough and Whitby.