Generational viewpoints
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Words by Jamie Crocker
An exercise in observation brought to fruition by a shared artistic interpretation of Penzance.
The Summerhouse Gallery has become known for presenting contemporary Cornish art with care and conviction. Since artist Rhiannon Cottam took ownership in 2023, the Marazion-based gallery has continued to champion painters, makers and sculptors whose work reflects the richness of creative practice across Cornwall. Every exhibition is thoughtfully curated, with each piece contributing to a carefully considered whole.
This summer brings an exhibition with particular significance, as Rhiannon exhibits alongside her mother, Jo Cottam, for the first time around a shared theme. The idea began with conversations about West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, places that have shaped family life for generations. As sketches, notes and discussions developed, both artists arrived at the same conclusion: Penzance was the place that connected every thread.
For Jo, the town spans childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. She returned there as a teenager, where she met her future husband, while Rhiannon grew up just beyond its boundaries, returning constantly for family, friends and the experiences that would shape her own life. Together they recognised that Penzance held more than 50 years of shared family history. It also offered subjects that naturally suit both artists: lush planting, distinctive architecture, a working harbour and sweeping views across Mount’s Bay.
Those shared experiences emerge through places that carry personal meaning. Morrab Gardens recalls childhood races to the fountain before circling the bandstand, followed by afternoons exploring the Jubilee Pool and its marine life. Clarence Street and its network of narrow lanes remind Jo of hurrying to summer jobs during the 1980s and walking home from evenings spent in Chapel Street, then the centre of the town’s social life. Annual family holidays, made possible by her grandmother’s rented cottage, strengthened those ties still further. The Scillonian III also appears within the exhibition, reflecting years spent living on the Isles of Scilly before children arrived, alongside a long family involvement with gig rowing.
Rhiannon is equally drawn to the details that often escape attention: washing hanging between houses, weathered rear elevations, uneven tiling and tall sash windows catching the changing light. Together, these familiar scenes create a portrait built from lived experience, where everyday surroundings carry lasting significance.
Although inspired by the same place, mother and daughter speak through very different artistic languages. Jo’s paintings are influenced by the gestural energy of Impressionism, built through expressive colour and successive layers of acrylic and oil that create texture, depth and atmosphere. Rhiannon works in mixed media, combining finely observed detail with an illustrative quality shaped by memories of dance, performance and family life. Their paintings remain entirely individual while sharing a vivid use of colour that brings the exhibition together.
The work also reflects a town whose character continues to evolve. Penzance carries evidence of changing fortunes, yet its creative spirit remains unmistakable. Independent businesses continue to bring fresh energy to the streets, while Victorian buildings, mature gardens and the striking Art Deco lines of the Jubilee Pool sit comfortably alongside faded shop signs, old amusement arcades and weathered walls. Every layer contributes to the town’s distinctive identity.
Preparing for the exhibition encouraged Rhiannon to experience Penzance at a different pace. She rented a room for a weekend, spending long hours walking with sketchbook and camera, allowing chance encounters and small observations to shape new work. She watched swimmers return from the sea, paused beside conversations drifting through the streets and noticed an elderly woman enjoying tea on a small balcony. A man patiently balancing pebbles on the beach became another fleeting image that found its way into her thinking. Human figures rarely appear directly within her paintings, yet the traces of everyday life remain present throughout.
The exhibition also marks an important stage in Rhiannon’s own journey with The Summerhouse Gallery. For much of her time as owner, her attention has centred on supporting the artists she represents. This year offered an opportunity to create space for her own work alongside that of the person who first encouraged her creative instincts. Curating the exhibition together has become part of the experience itself, allowing mother and daughter to shape every relationship between the paintings.
Both artists speak of reaching a point where their individual approaches feel fully formed. Years of painting have strengthened their confidence without diminishing curiosity, allowing this collaboration to develop naturally. The result is neither a record of familiar landmarks nor an exercise in nostalgia. It is a considered portrait of a town understood through decades of family life, observation and affection.
The Summerhouse Gallery has long celebrated artists with distinctive voices, and this exhibition captures that ambition with sincerity. Through two generations of one family, it reveals how a shared place can inspire entirely individual responses, inviting visitors to see Penzance through fresh eyes while recognising something of their own experience along the way. PZ runs at The Summerhouse Gallery from 4the to 28th September, with a private view on 4th September, 6 to 8pm, open to all. Newsletter subscribers receive early access to the works and can sign up via the website or by emailing.
