National Galleries Scotland (NGS) has, for the past 25 years, had on loan a collection of naturalia, artworks and ethnographic objects that belonged to the artist and collector Roland Penrose (1900-1984). A Surrealist interpretation of a 'Wunderkammer', these objects span millennia and culture, comprising an eclectic array of media and meaning: from a 2000-year-old Cycladic sculpture figure to a 19th-century Bakelite necklace and a wire sculpture made by Picasso.
The collection was on permanent display at Modern Two, serving as one of the few comprehensive examples of Surrealist collecting still intact; however, in 2022, a complaint from a member of the public about the way in which the ethnographic objects were displayed and their accompanying interpretation led to the removal of these objects from public view, and inspired us to conduct more research to re-evaluate their display and interpretation.
Much activity has already taken place, including preliminary conservation assessments, improved catalogue records, digitisation, and research around the collection itself (including hosting a Leverhulme visiting fellow) and how other institutions display and interpret comparable collections.
However, there remains curatorial work to be done: a key ambition of this project is to research the origin and cultural meaning of these objects in greater depth, which will inform how we display and interpret them going forward. We aim to acknowledge their significance to the Surrealists but also the cultural value to their original makers (for example, a Māori head holds ‘tapu’ or sacred meaning to its makers and should not be displayed in proximity to animal remains). This work complements NGS’s wider EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) work.
The selected intern will:
- Improve provenance and catalogue records
- Build connections and draw on knowledge from other organisations
- Attain a better understanding of cultural sensitivities which affect the way in which the objects are displayed/interpreted/consulted
- Investigate future outreach and engagement activity around the objects
- Contribute to internal and external engagement
There will also be the opportunity to travel to Farley’s Farm, the home of Roland Penrose in East Sussex, to view the ethnographic material still in their possession and to speak with the team there.
This internship will have some overlap with a planned three-month conservation internship role that will conduct more focused analytical and treatment work.
