Tarka Kings creates intimate portraits of morning routines in graphite and colored pencil — Colossal
Along the British coast, iconic summer scenes unfold in outdoor swimming pools known as lidos, swimming areas often built on the beach. Some are developed with fresh water and are chlorinated like indoor swimming pools, while others may be less formal, with tides pushing seawater over low walls.
This tradition is closely associated with another beloved pastime, wild swimming, where enthusiasts take a dip in lakes, rivers and seasides. It is often social, further benefiting people’s physical and mental health, and wild swimming clubs are becoming increasingly popular. For British artist Tarka Kings, the everyday life of these timeless leisure spots provides the basis for a series of intimate paintings.
Lido morningThe artist’s recent solo exhibition at Offer Waterman highlights Kings’ use of graphite and colored pencil to create quiet, contemplative, and evocative works. From getting dressed in a dressing room to sitting in a cafe by the Serpentine in London’s Hyde Park (which has its own lido), King observes the everyday moments of transition between indoors and outdoors, action and stillness, community and solitude.
Since 2008, Kings has worked almost exclusively with graphite and colored pencils. Her work draws from experience, adding model and photographic references as the artist swims almost every day and overlooks the Thames from her studio. “The King’s relationship with water, and its dynamics within the city of London, is an integral part of her work,” said the gallery.
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