"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." – Seneca
Heliconia Projects presents – Beginnings a duo exhibition that brings together the vivid works of Petra Schott and Jess Cochrane, two artists whose practices delve into the essence of origins, transformation, and the reimagining of identity. Explore the multifaceted interpretations of inception and renewal through the distinct yet complementary lenses of these artists. By engaging with Schott’s lyrical abstraction and Cochrane’s vivid figuration, the exhibition explores the perpetual motion of starting anew, celebrating the transformative power of art as a means to reimagine what it means to begin.
Jess Cochrane’s figurative works juxtapose familiar scenes with themes like shared memory, particularly as it pertains to motherhood and childhood. Her layered compositions invite viewers to question the conventions of beauty, identity, and societal expectations. Cochrane’s practice is a reimagining of tradition; a deliberate act of placing contemporary life into dialogue with the historical, underscoring the ways in which origins are continuously reshaped. The Australian artist’s landscape paintings featured in Beginnings take a
contemplative turn – featuring radiant depictions of the sun and ocean. These works, with their luminous palettes and fluid compositions, evoke a profound sense of new beginnings. The sun, a universal symbol of renewal, casts light upon the shifting tides of the ocean, representing life's ceaseless cycles of transformation and growth.
Petra Schott’s abstract paintings evoke inner landscapes where memory, longing, and intuition converge. Her expressive use of colour and form suggests a fluid process of becoming, where the boundaries between the past and present blur. Schott’s art offers a meditative exploration of life’s transitions, where each ending serves as a precursor to a new journey, echoing Seneca’s philosophical reflections on the interconnectedness
of beginnings and endings. The bright, expansive hues and layered textures in Schott’s abstractions mirror the qualities of sunlight glistening on ocean waves, symbolizing renewal and transformation. The German artist’s approach goes beyond representation, channelling the emotional resonance of these natural elements to evoke feelings of freedom, introspection, and possibility. By abstracting these universal symbols of
‘beginnings’, Schott invites viewers to experience the cyclical beauty of nature in a deeply personal, almost meditative way. In the context of Beginnings, the works of Schott and Cochrane resonate with the writings of French philosopher Gaston Bachelard, particularly his seminal work, The Poetics of Space. Bachelard’s reflections on the intimate spaces of imagination and the ways in which beginnings are tied to memory and creativity
enrich the thematic framework of the exhibition. His notion that “we begin to inhabit our world through poetic images” serves as a lens through which to view Cochrane and Schott’s respective practices, both deeply rooted in the acts of creation and reinterpretation.