While standing outside Weston Park Museum this morning, I noticed a queue of schoolchildren waiting to be ushered in. After teachers had admirably calmed the excitable rabble, a short silence ensued until one pointed at a poster promoting Pete McKee’s upcoming exhibition, which showed his Bath Time painting – a youngster being bathed in the sink of a 1970s kitchen – and shouted, “Ha! Look at that kid! Why’s he having a bath in t’sink?” The peace was shattered again: loud peals of laughter and plenty of jostling to get a closer look as staff struggled to restore order.
I couldn’t help but think that something was fitting about that moment – how a piece from McKee’s new exhibition, The Boy with a Leg Named Brian, a collection inspired by the artist’s childhood and formative years, managed to instantly resonate with and spark joy in children born generations down the line. Of course, it could simply be the fact that a kid being plonked into a sink for bath time is amusing to most people – none more so than primary school kids – but I like to think there’s something else at play, highlighting how Sheffielders seem to gravitate to his work, right across the age divide.
Walking around the exhibition with the Batemoor-born artist, I recounted the experience. “That’s great,” he grins. “I’m trying to make it as friendly and kid-friendly as possible this year. A lot of artworks are quite low down so kids can see them properly. We’ve created a cartoon workshop, so kids can get involved and draw – it’s fun, beginner-level stuff. Each section will have something interactive, too, with everything from Space Invaders to a horse ride inspired by one that once stood in Castle Market.”
The exhibition is split into five chapters, which guide visitors through distinct periods of McKee’s youth. The first, The Castle Market Years, honours the artist’s relationship with his mother before her untimely death when McKee was just seven. Reflecting on the conflicting emotions that arose while pulling this section together, he says: “It was cathartic. It was good to get some of it out of my system… There’s warmth in there, but there’s also sadness. The great thing about storytelling in art is I can recreate the times I had with my mum and even invent a few that I didn’t have.”
His characteristic blend of nostalgia, humour and heartstring-tugging takes on relationships with the people and places that built us is evident throughout. The exhibition’s name stems from a childhood pair of pass-me-down jeans from a relative, Brian, who’d duly stitched a patch displaying his name into the leg. “I had no option but to wear them,” Pete recalls. “So, when I went to call on a mate around the corner, his big brother answered the door, took one look at me and said, ‘What’s your other leg called?’”
Subsequent sections delve into life after his mother’s passing, the pastimes and adventures of childhood, an identity increasingly shaped through music, fashion and sport, and a deep connection to Sheffield that would endure well beyond his younger years. A particularly heartwarming touch is the inclusion of several pieces from Sheffield Museums’ collection – artworks he admired when visiting as a child, which provided formative forays into the world of art. “Me and my dad used to go to art galleries and he’d take me to Graves Gallery and Weston Park. Some of the pieces I saw influenced me and really stuck in my memory, so I wanted them in the show to pay homage to that as well.”
Continuing the mixed-media approach of his recent exhibitions – comprising paintings, sculpture and audio – another recurring theme is the weaving together of visual and written storytelling. “Every picture has a story,” he says. “Some of the newer works have really descriptive stories behind them, and I enjoy adding the writing part; it can be difficult getting that right. It would be great to see visitors to spend some time with them, to connect.”
However, the ultimate goal is for people to simply come along and enjoy the experience. “I just want everyone to have a really good time, spend some quality time in the exhibition and walk out entertained and happy. If they take some warmth from it, that’s job done.”
The Boy with a Leg Named Brian runs from 29 November 2024 to 2 November 2025 at Weston Park Museum. Tickets are free but should be booked in advance. Visit sheffieldmuseums.org.uk/mckee for details.
