In these new works, Peregrine Heathcote recalls his distinctive imagery, drawn from luxury lifestyle, fashion and iconic places. The narrative and the formal language of the scenes are inseparably linked to classic cinema and to old-style advertising.   

Travels are central in Heathcote’s art. In these works the focus is on the journey, which is explicitly represented through vintage cars and planes, but is also symbolized by the presence of lonely roads. In Gas Station, Independence Day, Long-lasting Friendship and Rendezvous, a road sets the scene, leading our sight to the most classic vanishing point of perspective, which ideally becomes our destination. But during our journey we share our experience with other characters that are making their own journeys: a beautiful girl who is running barefoot holding her sandals in her hand, or is waiting for the bus, or a couple of friends walking under the sun. 

In a way, Peregrine Heathcote’s paintings are not only about travel, but they rather suggest a sense of escapism, as they lead us to another dimension of timeless glamour and luxury. Although this dimension is very dreamy, it is made vivid and real by the extreme accuracy of the details of each figurative element: clothing, accessories, means of transport and even the landscapes. . 

When I Grow Up, where a kid plays with a model plane while a real one is flying above him, is an autobiographical painting. But it also represents how we feel after visiting the exhibition: we have just been given back the right to imagination. 

By Maria Ilaria Mura, a travel writer and Art historian from Sardinia.