Cleaner’s Photos Show Leeds Through The Seasons

Photographs by a University cleaner that highlight the important work of the grounds and gardening team on campus have gone on show in a new exhibition.
Entitled ‘Behind the greens’, the display of 24 photos in Leeds University Union Refectory is the work of Rosa Quintana, who has worked at the University of Leeds for six years.

This is Rosa’s second exhibition at the University. Her first project, ‘Unobtrusive Impact’, depicted the vital work of the cleaning team during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rosa has always been curious about how different jobs are developed and her inspiration for this project was the green spaces around the campus.

Rosa Quintana

Rosa said:
“Gardeners make our walks around the university more pleasant. Everyone likes green areas around us. We enjoy them, we take advantage of the peace and beauty that they generate.

“We rarely stop to think who is behind it all, making possible the colours of every season. Who plants, who feeds, who takes care of and looks after the plants and trees around us?

“These people who do everything from looking after the green areas, keeping the campus clean and even the bins empty. These almost hidden people enrich our experience so subtly.”

Rosa uses her Nikon D300 camera, a tripod and a couple of different lenses to take the photographs.

“[Photography] is the way I can explain what I mean. Journalists use their words; I use my photography to express myself.”

“It was great to discover what this small team does throughout the year. How they make such changes possible so we can enjoy the variety of green areas and the cleanliness of the campus.

“It was great to discover what this small team does throughout the year. How they make such changes possible so we can enjoy the variety of green areas and the cleanliness of the campus.”

Rosa is from a small Spanish village called Segovia in a province close to Madrid, where she worked as a photographer covering weddings, christenings and studio portraits. In 2016, Rosa moved to Leeds with her son, who studied at Leeds Beckett University and Rosa started to work at the University of Leeds in 2017.

Rob Wadsworth, Director of Campus Innovation at the University of Leeds, said:

“Rosa’s exhibition celebrates the important and often tireless work of our Grounds and Gardens team, who make sure that our campus looks its best all-year round.

“This work is an example of what our teams within our Facilities Directorate can achieve when we collaborate and shines a light on the role our directorate plays in ensuring that students and staff are in an environment where they can flourish, succeed and make a difference.”