Saltdean Lido art exhibition inspired by swimmers’ memories

Brighton artist Ruth Mulvie has been inspired by real stories from Saltdean Lido’s living history archive to create an art collection which is on display at the venue.

Endless Summer, part of the Brighton Artists Open Houses festival, examines the rituals of the British seaside holiday and the emotional pull of nostalgia.

The work is based on recordings of memories of people who visited the Lido, which play in the foyer.

“I love the quirkiness of the British Holiday, the kitsch furniture, the humour, the nonsense, Mr Whippy, people walking around in their flip flops and I really enjoy painting that,” said Ruth.

“There’s a radio in the foyer of Saltdean Lido that plays recordings from people who visited in its earlier years,” she added.

“They speak about their memories – including the ladybird invasion of ’76, knobbly knees competitions and warm sunny days.”

Breaking the Rules is one of Ruth’s favourite paintings in the collection.

“You can see people dive bombing, kissing, ball games, there’s a bike, the bottle of Evian sitting next to the lifeguard, and it’s all those things that I really enjoy picking out,” she explained.

Judy Stevens, the Brighton Artists Open Houses director, said there weren’t many places to exhibit in the city so being at Saltdean Lido was an “amazing opportunity” for people to see art in an unusual setting.

“The Artists Open Houses is about having art in homes and studios but to have art in a setting like this is perfect for the theme of Ruth’s work,” said Ms Stevens.

There are 196 houses taking part in the festival around the city, as well as Saltdean Lido.

Ruth said the work had emerged from a very difficult time in her life.

“My marriage ended last year and I found myself reaching for things that have always grounded me: swimming, sunlight, the sea, the moon,” she said.

Ruth said it was “a dream come true” exhibiting at the Lido and she was thrilled she could share her work with other people.

The display at the Lido is open to the public on 17, 18, 24 and 25 May.