Arts University Plymouth student supports Brownston Gallery

Hannah Cade, a Fine Art student from Arts University Plymouth, has supported Brownston Gallery in Modbury through a placement organised as part of the arts university’s Knowledge Exchange work, funded by Research England.

Hannah Cade from Plymouth, who is 21 years old and in the third year of her BA (Hons) Fine Art degree at Arts University Plymouth said: “I did so many things. I started by making one-minute videos for the gallery website, mostly walkthroughs of the gallery and the exhibitions that were on. Catherine Gillan, owner of Brownston Gallery, wanted support to record the gallery work, so another part of my role was photography. I took images of sculptures in a small box cove, as well as photography of pieces that were framed. I would spend mornings photographing and afternoons editing them. I also took some images at a private opening, so event photography was another aspect of the placement. I got to meet the artists exhibiting there too, so it was great to network with people in the industry.”

“Since the placement, I’ve been doing a lot more social media work and reaching out to people who I might be able to help. I realised how much I enjoy it. I’ve since worked for the Brownston Gallery again; doing event photography and Instagram reels. I make a lot of content for my own account, but I’m currently working on collecting together a portfolio of content I’ve created for other people. This was an invaluable experience for a fine artist. We’re always told to photograph our own work professionally as it’s so important to have a log of your own work for your website or portfolio.”

The Brownston Gallery, in Modbury, is a leading British contemporary fine art gallery with diverse collections of original art for sale.

Inspired by visual artists such as Tacita Dean, Hannah works within analogue film photography, specifically 16mm and Super 8 film.

Hannah said, “I love how you can literally try anything you want on the Fine Art course at Arts University Plymouth. That was the main thing that led me to choose the course. The context in my work is the most important thing to me, so the medium I use has to fit in with that. I’m really enjoying trying out ways to use the medium beyond recording a film and projecting the moving image.”

“Tacita Dean was a big reason why I began to look at working with Super 8 – the way she talks about film being its own medium really inspired me. I’ve had a lot of people ask why I like film and analogue so much, it’s just not the same as digital. It’s more tactile.”

When Hannah isn’t studying for her degree, she works as an exhibition assistant for Art University Plymouth’s in-house gallery, MIRROR. Since her second year, Hannah has supported the installation of exhibitions including Huma Mulji’s Your Tongue in My Mouth’, and South West Showcase 2022 artist Huhtamaki Wab’s ‘Yanaoshi’ Most recently, Hannah assisted in the set up of ‘Bridge the Tamar’, a collection of work by Devon and Cornwall artists running until 27 May 2023. 

Hannah’s placement with Brownston Gallery was an Arts University Plymouth Knowledge Exchange placement supported by Research England’s Knowledge Exchange Funding for Smaller Providers. Developed as part of the University’s employability programme, the placement scheme has provided a number of opportunities for undergraduate students to gain valuable experience to prepare them for the world of work following graduation.

Arts University Plymouth has a long relationship with Brownston Gallery, which offers the Brownston Gallery Fresh Talent Award each year, won in 2022 by Arts University Plymouth BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing & Printmaking graduate Jo Haskins. Jo was the subject of a recent exhibition in Brownston Gallery, ‘Arctic Impressions’, showcasing work created after immersing herself in the Arctic landscape in Svalbard.