Te Atamira’s first international exhibition, in partnership with the British Council and British High Commission, will shine a light on the global issue of plastic waste.
Award-winning British snapper Mandy Barker’s bringing ‘SHELF-LIFE’ to Queenstown, which focuses on the world-wide reliance on plastic, and the damage it causes to marine life and, ultimately, humankind.
Barker’s photos at first appear to be enticing images of underwater seascapes, but are constructed from thousands of pieces of plastic rubbish, collected from the beaches of the uninhabited and isolated Henderson Island.
Part of the Pitcairn Islands, and a UNESCO World Heritage site, Barker and a team of scientists visited the island — more than 5000 kilometres from the nearest landmass — in 2019, documenting the massive quantities of plastic waste.
To highlight the environmental threat, Barker used pieces of the debris, made up of at least 45 major recognised brands from 25 different countries, to create images that suggest an infinity of floating plastic.
The work aims to provoke a response from viewers by raising awareness of the plastic pollution that’s washed up on Henderson Island, which, despite being one of the most isolated places on earth, harbours an extremely high density of plastic pollution.
Barker says her aim’s to engage with viewers and stimulate an ‘‘emotional response’’ by combining a contradiction between initial aesthetic attraction with the message of awareness.
She’s a recipient of the 2018 National Geographic Society grant for research and exploration, a member of the Union of Concerned Photographers, which is dedicated to using the power of imagery to underline the urgency of environmental concerns, while her work’s been published in more than 50 countries.
Local sculptor Shane Woolridge will provide a local perspective on the materiality of plastics as part of the exhibition.
‘SHELF-LIFE’ runs from November 30 to January 24.
