7x7x7 Series: Kendall King
Kendall King is the fourth featured artist in our sixth 7x7x7 Series, which asks 7 questions to 7 Charlottesville artists and is published once a week for 7 weeks. Artist interviews and studio visits were conducted by our summer intern, Kalista Diamantopoulos. Photos were taken by Benita Mayo.
This summer's series is presented by The Seven Society and features artists affiliated with the University of Virginia.
Photo Credit: Benita Mayo
Intro written by Kalista Diamantopoulos. Published August 29, 2022.
Artist and co-director of Visible Records Kendall King carries a vivacious and energetic energy with her wherever she goes, her equally energetic dog Fela (named affectionately after Nigerian musical composer and performer Fela Kuti), pitter-patters along a few steps behind her.
Kendall spends part of her time in her warmly lit print-making studio on the second floor of Visible Records, which she shares with another artist. Along the center of the space is a hefty printing press and an inking station and against one of the walls is a paper-cutting station. Hanging on the opposite wall is a metal organizer holding neatly arranged printmaking tools and a bulky paper towel roll.
Kendall wears many hats at Visible Records — from dedicating time to her own artistic practice, managing Visible Records, and coordinating both the Common Field Community Garden and the installation of the Solitary Gardens projects.
The lines dividing her different creative work and involvement are blurred and her various involvements seem to influence each other. This melting pot is seen through a drawing she is currently working on — a rich and bright colored pencil rendering inspired by photos of volunteers of varying ages tending to the Common Field Community Garden. Holding up another one of her works, a large black and white print, Kendall discusses her practice. She enjoys exploring movement, and how people interact and connect with each other — and print-making, a process that involves movement and the body, lends itself greatly to those ideas.
In 2020, Kendall graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts major in American Studies and a minor in Studio Art, with a concentration in Printmaking. She hopes to eventually further grow her involvement in gardening and food production by starting her own garden.
1. Describe what you are currently working on?
At the moment I’m working on what’s called a trace monotype. The process entails covering paper with a material that resists ink, such as pastel, and then placing the paper straight on to a thin layer of ink. When you draw on the back side of your paper, you transfer ink on to the front, over your pastel resist. The harder you press, the more bold your line or gradient registers, which allows you to make some interesting values and textures by pressing harder or lighter. I’m working on a piece about people moving in the garden with this method.
2. What is your ideal creative environment?
My ideal creative environment contains many mediums! Learning about how other artists use a wide range of media and processes stimulates my own creativity. I thrive when I am able to be social while I create, ask others what they think, and brainstorm next steps or alternatives to my current process. Being outside, even if just during breaks from creative work, is ideal for me. Sometimes I just need a walk outside with music to amp up or refocus on my project.
3. How has Charlottesville impacted your artistic work and life as an artist?
I’ve been in Charlottesville for most of my adult life, so I owe a lot of my becoming in general to this place and the people I’ve met here, which in turn affects my artistic work. I’m really excited about the work that artists do here to support themselves and build community. I think Visible Records is one example of that, and I’m also really moved by projects like Bad Milk Press and the artists who run it, Ramona Martinez and Sri Kodakalla.
4. What frustrates you as an artist?
The scarcity, and often competitive nature, of funding for artists and their projects.
5. How do you manage a work-life balance as an artist?
The honest answer is that I don’t! One major reason that I struggle to find balance is because the cost of living in this area is high and I need to work full time at my day job, sometimes more or with side gigs, to afford to live healthily. Another is that I have so many amazing friends working on great projects around town that I struggle to say no when they ask for my collaboration. I haven’t yet found the best way to manage my time, but I know it’s crucial if I want to keep up with my art practice.
6. Describe your favorite creative work by another Charlottesville artist?
I just began sharing a studio with fellow printmaker, Sophie McDowell, at Visible Records. I bought a multi-woodblock print from her called “Lillies and Herons.” It’s clear that the beautiful, rich colors in the print are created from layering many blocks printed on top of each other, not simply because she printed a single layer of color. In the light, the print almost glows because it is so intentionally layered.
7. How do your other interests influence your art?
I’m interested in growing food and in building community. I’m interested in the way people work together to accomplish their goals and dreams. These things are often the subject of my prints and drawings, and I’m creatively inspired by other artists who work with these themes (such as Dianna Settles and Linda Goode Bryant).
Kendall King (she/her) is an artist in Charlottesville, Virginia. Kendall is currently Co-Director of Visible Records, an artist-run studio and gallery space in Charlottesville, where she bottom lines the studio-side of the gallery’s mission to provide national and local artists with the space and tools to expand their practice and build creative community alongside Morgan Ashcom. She also coordinates and directs volunteers for Common Field community garden and the Solitary Gardens project. Her passion for collaborating with others to grow food inspires much of her artwork.
The opinions expressed in this interview are solely those of the artist and do not necessarily represent the policies or positions of NCAI.
This summer's series is presented by The Seven Society and features artists affiliated with the University of Virginia.
