Our Plastic Ocean, by international award-winning photographer Mandy Barker, addresses the current global crisis of marine plastic pollution.  Barker collects debris from shorelines across the world and transforms them into powerful and captivating images. The exhibition, which is traveling from Impressions Gallery where it was conceived, is the first major touring retrospective of her work.

At first glance, Barker’s images are reminiscent of sea creatures and corals suspended in a dark void beneath the sea, but closer inspection reveals a more disturbing reality. From footballs to fishing nets, cotton-buds to coffee-cup lids, Barker highlights the incongruous plastic items now ubiquitous in our seas. Currently, 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the world’s oceans every year and if these trends continue, our oceans could contain more plastic than fish by 2050.

This exhibition was initially exhibited at Impressions Gallery in Bradford, and has toured to Waterside Arts.

Waterside Arts Centre will be hosting an artist's talk on February 20th.