The FIFA World Cup 2014 was the spark for this project. In the year leading up to the event, Mandy Barker put out an international call for footballs found in the sea and on shorelines.
In just 4 months, people sent her a total of 992 marine debris balls. These originated from 144 different beaches in 41 different countries and islands.
The recovered footballs are presented against a black background to resemble the deep ocean.
Barker says, ‘The series title has a double meaning. In football, a penalty is a punishment for breaking a rule. In relation to my project, a penalty is the price we will pay if we do not look after our oceans by managing the over-consumption of plastic and becoming responsible for its disposal.’
To hear Barker talk about this series of work listen here:
