Written by Samantha Knopp

You pay your admission; walk around silently viewing objects on the walls and floor. You see something strange and don’t really understand what’s going on but don’t know who to ask. Maybe your question is silly, inappropriate, or will reveal just how out of place you feel. Feeling uncomfortable and confused you leave… more cultured?

Okay, so I don’t know about you but I think this scenario is one that many of us have experienced at one point or another when visiting a gallery, and I’m even an artist! As an intern at rennie collection, I help behind the scenes, working alongside rennie collection staff. I also act as the front of house, providing free public tours of rennie collection and the current exhibition, Glenn Brown |Rebecca Warren: Collected Works.

Giving these weekly tours is both the most exciting and the most challenging part of my job. First I had to prepare myself by putting in the research and study to make sure I knew my stuff. But it isn’t just about having knowledge. Every tour brings new guests who come with their own interests, experiences and opinions, so confidence and adaptability are two skills I’ve had to learn quickly. The reward of this ever-changing dynamic is that I continually see the artwork through fresh eyes. My understanding of the work is continually evolving because just when I start to think that I have a work figured out or a routine in place, someone points out a new detail or asks a new question that changes everything.

Since I‘ve had the opportunity to tour the exhibition on a weekly basis since October, I’ve had a lot of time to think and rethink the works and muse on the pairing of the artists, which is definitely intriguing. At first glance these two British artists don’t seem to share much in common apart from their citizenship and their Turner Prize nominations: Glenn is a painter whose meticulous oil renderings completely deny any trace of the artist’s hand while Rebecca is a sculptor whose works appear so haphazard in her predominant medium of raw unfired clay that some question if they’re even finished.

I’ve learned a lot hearing people try to make sense of the exhibition. rennie collection doesn’t provide any grand overarching curatorial statement, instead encouraging visitors to experience the work for themselves, and with a little bit of guided interpretation for support, to talk with one another and draw their own conclusions.

This non-prescriptive attitude is one of the things I find most exciting about rennie collection. Obviously Bob Rennie likes the art and has his reasons for collecting and exhibiting artists, but he isn’t looking to make any converts. This idea was one of the key things stressed to me when I first started my internship. My job as guide is to facilitate a conversation and to give some context, but always to let people decide for themselves whether they personally feel the art is good, interesting, or inspiring.

It’s always a mixed bag of visitors and so opinions vary. For some, a visit to the rennie collection is their first foray into contemporary art while others come to the tour with a broader knowledge of what to expect. Regardless of experience, taste or politics, everyone is welcome and strongly encouraged to share.

rennie collection’s approach is incredibly liberating for me as tour guide, but more importantly, I’ve seen it be liberating for guests who realize quickly that this isn’t a typical gallery experience. It isn’t the quiet, insular, daunting, or sometimes-pretentious affair we’ve become accustomed to when viewing art. My tour is not a script handed down from the gallery, but is instead formed from my own research and personal interests. There are no headsets here, talking is encouraged, and all types of questions come up. We laugh, get up close (but not too close!), and people feel free to point out what they see and feel: the good, the bad and the ugly.