The Absent Drinker
"The jukebox remains silent, no longer needed to provide the soundtrack to idle chatter.
The lights on the beer pumps glow but no one is there to see them let alone taste their liquid delights.
Every now and then the one-armed bandit sings out like a caged songbird, calling to a mate who will never visit.
On the wall a poster advertises a special night of entertainment and fun, like a map to the mythical paradise of Shangri-la.
The landlord sits at the end of the bar leant over today’s newspaper, improving his crossword skills.
6 down, (6,7) “Death knell of the local” A_S_NT D_I_KER" - Pete McKee
Curatorial Note
Created for Pete's 2022 Don't Adjust Your Mindset exhibition this work is a reaction to the decline in UK pubs over the last twenty years. Pubs in Pete’s work usually tell stories of those enjoying a quiet moment or of lively family get-togethers. Here, no such thing happens.
The dying plant in the corner symbolises the dwindling clientele. Pete’s empty boozer, designed to serve the estate seen in the distance, is an example of one of the types of pubs that have been disappearing.
The fate of the pub in The Absent Drinker is emphasised by the painting’s perspective.
The path to the tower blocks is steep and narrow, making the blocks’ inhabitants seem far away. The painting’s title is a play on Édouard Manet’s 1859 painting The Absinthe Drinker in which an inebriated man sits alone on a wall at night. Although Pete’s work explores a different aspect of drinking culture, the scenes in both paintings tell bleak and dismal stories.
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.
