▁abandoned ▁within ▁a ▁sub urban ▁or ▁semi - r ural ▁American ▁landscape , ▁with ▁the ▁ban ality ▁and ▁dis he vel ment ▁of ▁the ▁subject ▁matter ▁contrast ing ▁with ▁the ▁imm ac ulate ▁and ▁met icul ous ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁work ' s ▁execution . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁and ▁education ▁Salt ▁was ▁born ▁and ▁brought ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁Sh eld on ▁district ▁of ▁B irmingham . ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁motor ▁repair ▁gar age ▁owner , ▁whose ▁step father ▁in ▁turn ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁sign writer ▁painting ▁stri pes ▁on ▁the ▁bodies ▁of ▁cars . ▁As ▁a ▁young ▁boy ▁Salt ▁was ▁encourag ed ▁to ▁draw ▁and ▁paint , ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁fifteen ▁he ▁gained ▁adm itt ance ▁to ▁the ▁B irmingham ▁School ▁of ▁Art , ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 5 8 . ▁From ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁until ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁he ▁studied ▁at ▁the ▁S lade ▁School ▁of ▁Art ▁in ▁London , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁particularly ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁artist ▁Pr un ella ▁Cl ough ▁and ▁American ▁Pop ▁Art ▁figures ▁such ▁as ▁Robert ▁R aus chen berg . ▁ ▁Salt ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁Mid lands ▁to ▁teach ▁at ▁St our bridge ▁College ▁of ▁Art ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁artist ▁to ▁exhib it ▁at ▁B irmingham ' s ▁newly ▁opened ▁I kon ▁Gallery , ▁where ▁he ▁had ▁his ▁first ▁one - man ▁show ▁in ▁ 1 9