Shit Happens
"Take your kids to the local river for some effluent frolics. An educational effluvium. Witness an outpouring of eye-watering chemical exudation." - Pete McKee
Curatorial Note
Created for Pete's 2022 Don't Adjust Your Mindset exhibition.
In 2021 water companies increased the amount of sewage they spilled into coastal bathing waters by 87%. In the same year Surfers Against Sewage tested the water quality at river mouths where water is directly pumped into the sea. The results showed that the water quality in six out of eight rivers was extremely poor, a direct result of faecal contamination, posing an extreme danger to human health and entire ecosystems.
When creating this work Pete stated that “For some reason the first thing that came to mind was stickleback fishing, usually a lovely pastime for children exploring and learning about nature. I wanted to portray what this revolting pollution might literally look like, and how it might affect the next generation. I based the style of this painting on illustrations for children’s books, to further satirise the situation. The bizarre sight of this little girl being delighted with her catch, hunting for turds not sticklebacks, emphasises the grim absurdity.”
Product Options:
This image is available as an art print, produced on high-quality paper and available unframed or framed. This image is also available on canvas.
Unframed art print*
Small print: 40cm x 56cm
Large print: 50cm x 70cm
*Dimensions include a white border that surrounds the image and measures approximately 5cm.
Please note that unframed prints take 1-3 working days to be printed and an extra 1-2 working days for delivery. Unframed prints are available the same day from the McKee gallery for collection only.
Framed art print
Mounted and framed in a bespoke, glass, black angled frame. Made by the gallery's local framer.
Small framed print: 43cm x 53cm (approx)
Large framed print: 54cm x 70cm (approx)
Please note that framed prints take 7-10 working days to be made up and an extra 2-3 working days for delivery.
Canvas
Our canvases are hand-stretched onto chunky pine frames with hand-folded corners. Our McKee images are printed onto the canvases with high-definition printers to produce sharp, high-quality images.
Canvas: 31cm x 41cm
Please note our canvases can take up to 7 working days to be delivered or to be collected in store.
