Mandy Barker launches creative Kickstarter for new book.

With her latest photobook artist Mandy Barker takes inspiration from Victorian botanist and photographer Anna Atkins and her intricate cyanotypes, to raise awareness of fast fashion, synthetic clothes, and the harmful effect of microfibres in our oceans.

“In 2012, I found a piece of material in a rock pool that changed my life. Mistaking this moving piece of cloth for seaweed, started the recovery of synthetic clothing from around  the coastline of Britain for the next ten years”. 

• Mandy Barker

This captivating series, which melds science with art, features algae specimens captured in stunning blue tones, offering a unique, tactile interpretation of the natural world. What sets Mandy’s work apart is her exploration of “imperfections” in the cyanotype process, highlighting the beauty of errors, flaws, and unpredictability in each piece. By supporting this project, backers not only help bring these stunning works to life but also engage with a larger conversation around environmental sustainability and the delicate ecosystems that are often overlooked. While the global environmental crisis and war on waste are strong themes within Mandy’s work, there are also tributes to the forgotten and overlooked elements of nature and this Kickstarter offers a rare chance to own an editioned print of this striking visual exploration. 

In addition to the limited-edition print, the fundraiser offers supporters a myriad of rewards including signed copies of the new book, an online live talk and even an in-person day with the award winning artist herself. All money raised through Mandy’s Kickstarter will go to the cost of production, printing, and distribution of the book.

Mandy Barker is currently showcasing her work via the Spectrum instagram. Follow Mandy to hear more about her practice process and the inspiration behind this latest photobook.

About Mandy Barker

Barker’s work has been published in over 50 different countries including; National Geographic Magazine, TIME Magazine, The Guardian, The New Scientist, The British Journal of Photography, VOGUE, and 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, the United Nations headquarters in New York, the Victoria & Albert Museum London.

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