As a graphic representation of the vast amount of trash hidden beneath the surfaces of our oceans, photographic artist Mandy Barker creates collages from plastic salvaged from beaches around the world. For her project "Soup", each piece is photographed separately in her London studio before being painstakingly Photoshopped together. Each artwork can take years to produce. Both eerie and beautiful, her images draw you in before disturbingly reminding you how we are destroying our marine environments. You can see more of her work here.

Artist Statement

"The aim of my work is to engage with and stimulate an emotional response in the viewer by combining a contradiction between initial aesthetic attraction along with the subsequent message of awareness. The research process is a vital part of my development as the images I make are based on scientific fact which is essential to the integrity of my work. The impact of oceanic waste is an area I am committed to pursuing through visual interpretation and in collaboration with science, hoping it will ultimately lead to positive action in tackling this increasing environmental problem which of current global concern".