Sue Webster : Birth of an Icon – Firstsite

22nd February 2026

We’ve been to a number of exhibitions at Firstsite over the years, including some big names like Andy Warhol, Grayson Perry and Antony Gormley. But there have been exhibitions from lesser known artists, and Sue Webster comes into the latter category for us. What particularly drew us to her ‘Birth of an Icon’ exhibition was the focus on the iconography of Siouxsie Sioux, who clearly had as big an impact on Sue Webster as it did on me back in the day.

The Firstsite description of the exhibition says :

At the heart of the show is ‘The Crime Scene’, an imposing wall-based installation of teenage memorabilia and personal items pinned together with neon orange string connecting each object to resemble a crime scene. This installation also features a new audio piece with the artist guiding listeners through how each element connects, creating an immersive audio collage.

And this wall provides a fascinating collection of materials from the late 70s and early 80s, lots of album and 45 covers (many of which I still have) and also a number of books, two of which were exactly the same editions as I have on my bookshelves. There is a focus on some mass murderers, including Charles Manson and Peter Sutcliffe, who were definitely part of my memories of that time (which couldn’t be helped as I was living in Leeds 79-82 during the period Sutcliffe was active).

rbt

There is an audio visual presentation, and a collection of hanging black leather jackets all adorned with Sue Webster’s illustrations of Siouxsie and adorned with other Siouxsie and the Banshees memorabilia.

There are other self-portaits, a series of Siouxsie £50 notes, and an impressive madonna and child lit up with candles.

Well worth popping into Firstsite to see, especially for ageing punks. The exhibition is supported by The Coode-Adams Firstsite Trust, is free of charge, and runs until Sunday 10th May 2026.