Visiting Artist’s Talk – Mandy Barker

For this week's Visiting Artist's Talk we welcome international award-winning photographer Mandy Barker.

Mandy Barker is an international award-winning photographer whose work involving marine plastic debris for more than 13 years, has received global recognition. Working with scientists she aims to raise awareness about plastic pollution in the world's oceans, highlighting the harmful affect on marine life and ourselves — ultimately leading the viewer to take action.

Barker's work has been published in over 50 different countries including; National Geographic Magazine, TIME Magazine, The Guardian, The Financial Times, The New Scientist, Unesco, Vogue, and also to illustrate key academic and scientific research papers about current plastic research.

Her work has been exhibited world-wide from MoMA Museum of Modern Art, and the United Nations headquarters in New York, the Victoria & Albert Museum London, and the Science & Technology Park Hong Kong. Barker was shortlisted for the Prix Pictet Award SPACE 2017, the world's leading photography award for sustainability, and nominated for the Magnum Foundation Fund, LOBA Award, and the Deutsche Börse Foundation Photography Prize 2020.

She is a recipient of the 2018 National Geographic Society Grant for Research and Exploration. Her first book 'Beyond Drifting: Imperfectly Known Animals' was selected as one of the Ten Best Photography Books of 2017, by Smithsonian, and ‘Altered Ocean’ was chosen by The Royal Photographic Society as one of the most coveted titles and top 10 Photobooks of 2019. Barker is a member of the Union of Concerned Photographers UCP, which is dedicated to using the power of imagery to underline the urgency of environmental concerns.

About the Visiting Artists’ Talks series

The Visiting Artist’s Talk (VAT) series hosts talks by an exciting range of arts practitioners from around the world every Monday afternoon 2–4pm during teaching weeks.

All of our talks are compulsory for our Fine Art students but are also open to anyone else who would like to join us.

For more information, please email Cesar Cornejo.

Directions to Roger Stevens Lecture Theatre 20

See the campus map.

Image

SOUP: Bird’s Nest. C-Type print 152 x 107cm. Photograph © Mandy Barker.