Pete McKee
Encyclopedia
Pete McKee is a painter
and commercial artist from Sheffield
, England
. He is a cartoonist for the Sheffield Telegraph
’s sports section. He has exhibited regularly around the north of England. Using bright colours his larger than life, often humorous characters inhabit a world of working men's club
s, bingo halls and family trips to the seaside. Football is also heavily featured in his work although he regularly depicts fans from both halves of the footballing divide in Sheffield: Sheffield United
and Sheffield Wednesday
, the team he himself supports.
Pete Mckee was born in February, 1966, and grew up on a Sheffield
council estate. The artist lost his mother to cancer at a very early age.
Although his dream was to go to art college he ended up working in a factory. The way he kept his artistic influences was in his band (his current band is a ukulele group under the name of The Everly Pregnant Brothers) and doing logos and stuff of the sort, but at that time his focus was mainly on trying to find a record producer.
He started sending drawings to the Fanzine for Sheffield Wednesday and they rang offering him £50. Encouraged by this he started drawing for the Sheffield Telegraph and has continued to do so since.
McKee decided to concentrate on his painting in 2004 and began by painting with emulsion on MDF boards.
McKee opened his first ever London show, entitled ‘Lost Weekends’ in 2007 and has also exhibited in Birmingham
and New York
since then. Subsequently he was commissioned by Acme studios
to interpret characters from US TV shows The Simpsons
, Family Guy
and Futurama
.
In 2007 McKee was commissioned by Oasis
guitarist Noel Gallagher
to paint him as part of Gibson Guitar’s “Guitar Town” show. McKee painted a portrait of the guitarist onto a 10 foot fibreglass guitar which was displayed as part of the open air exhibition on London’s South Bank
.
Early 2010 Pete was invited to design a limited edition pair of Clarks Desert Boots, using the original style template and giving it a McKee makeover. In order to celebrate the heritage of the original boot Pete created a striking pair of images featuring a groups of Mods, for the men’s boot, and Modettes for the women's. The boots were sold worldwide in selected Clarks Shops, specifically in Paris, New York and Japan.
Again in 2010 Pete was approached by Internationally Renowned Designer, Sir Paul Smith, with a view to staging an exhibition of his work at the flagship Tokyo Paul Smith Store. This saw the development of Teenage Kicks – a beautifully produced limited edition book that celebrates the influence a musical awakening had on Pete. This McKee retrospective takes in several musical genres, Goth, Punk, Rock, Hippies and Rap are amongst the styles featured in this coffee table tome. And as it comes complete with a very special 12” etched piece of white vinyl Pete has finally realised a dream of having a successful, critically acclaimed record (of sorts). To commemorate this collaboration selected images were reproduced on Paul Smith clothing and bags specifically for the Japanese market.
June 2010 saw the opening of Pete McKee’s first dedicated Gallery a Month of Sundays'. Situated in Sheffield’s Hunters Bar district, ‘A Month of Sundays’ has already become an eye-catching addition to an already bustling High Street.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and commercial artist from Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He is a cartoonist for the Sheffield Telegraph
Sheffield Telegraph
The Sheffield Telegraph is a weekly newspaper published in Sheffield, England.-History:Founded in 1855 as the Sheffield Daily Telegraph, it was the city's first daily newspaper, published at 08:00 each morning. The newspaper struggled until W. C...
’s sports section. He has exhibited regularly around the north of England. Using bright colours his larger than life, often humorous characters inhabit a world of working men's club
Working men's club
Working men's clubs are a type of private social club founded in the 19th century in industrial areas of the United Kingdom, particularly the North of England, the Midlands and many parts of the South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class men and their families.-...
s, bingo halls and family trips to the seaside. Football is also heavily featured in his work although he regularly depicts fans from both halves of the footballing divide in Sheffield: Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
and Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
, the team he himself supports.
Biography
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
council estate. The artist lost his mother to cancer at a very early age.
Although his dream was to go to art college he ended up working in a factory. The way he kept his artistic influences was in his band (his current band is a ukulele group under the name of The Everly Pregnant Brothers) and doing logos and stuff of the sort, but at that time his focus was mainly on trying to find a record producer.
He started sending drawings to the Fanzine for Sheffield Wednesday and they rang offering him £50. Encouraged by this he started drawing for the Sheffield Telegraph and has continued to do so since.
McKee decided to concentrate on his painting in 2004 and began by painting with emulsion on MDF boards.
McKee opened his first ever London show, entitled ‘Lost Weekends’ in 2007 and has also exhibited in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
since then. Subsequently he was commissioned by Acme studios
Acme Studios
Acme Studios is a London-based charity which provides affordable studio space, residencies and awards for non-commercial fine artists.Acme currently manages 425 studios in 12 buildings in London, providing space for over 500 artists.- History :...
to interpret characters from US TV shows The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
and Futurama
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
.
In 2007 McKee was commissioned by Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
guitarist Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
to paint him as part of Gibson Guitar’s “Guitar Town” show. McKee painted a portrait of the guitarist onto a 10 foot fibreglass guitar which was displayed as part of the open air exhibition on London’s South Bank
South Bank
South Bank is an area of London, England located immediately adjacent to the south side of the River Thames. It forms a long and narrow section of riverside development that is within the London Borough of Lambeth to the border with the London Borough of Southwark and was formerly simply known as...
.
Early 2010 Pete was invited to design a limited edition pair of Clarks Desert Boots, using the original style template and giving it a McKee makeover. In order to celebrate the heritage of the original boot Pete created a striking pair of images featuring a groups of Mods, for the men’s boot, and Modettes for the women's. The boots were sold worldwide in selected Clarks Shops, specifically in Paris, New York and Japan.
Again in 2010 Pete was approached by Internationally Renowned Designer, Sir Paul Smith, with a view to staging an exhibition of his work at the flagship Tokyo Paul Smith Store. This saw the development of Teenage Kicks – a beautifully produced limited edition book that celebrates the influence a musical awakening had on Pete. This McKee retrospective takes in several musical genres, Goth, Punk, Rock, Hippies and Rap are amongst the styles featured in this coffee table tome. And as it comes complete with a very special 12” etched piece of white vinyl Pete has finally realised a dream of having a successful, critically acclaimed record (of sorts). To commemorate this collaboration selected images were reproduced on Paul Smith clothing and bags specifically for the Japanese market.
June 2010 saw the opening of Pete McKee’s first dedicated Gallery a Month of Sundays'. Situated in Sheffield’s Hunters Bar district, ‘A Month of Sundays’ has already become an eye-catching addition to an already bustling High Street.
Exhibitions
- Urban Legends (November 2004)
- A Month of Sundays (January 2005)
- The Boy with a Leg Named Brian (October 2005)
- Northern Soul (November 2005)
- Jumpers for Goalposts (July 2006)
- Wish you were here (June 2006)
- Loneliness of a Fat Distance Runner (October 2006)
- Lost Weekends (November 2006)
- A Month of Sundays (June 2007)
- 33 1/3 (April 2008)
- 22 Views of Sheffield (November 2008)
- Snooker City - Sheffield (April 2009)
- Great Moments in Music History - Manchester (October 2009)
- Teenage Kicks - Tokyo "(April 2010)"
- A Month of Sundays - Scarborough "(March 2011)"
- The McKee Collection - The Biscuit Factory Newcastle "(March - June 2011)"