Inspiration

Barker has had a connection with the sea and the coastline since being a child, both through her early photography and through the recovery of plastic.

Inspired by the discovery of her first piece of material, she initially began to photograph seaweed in deep waters, to immerse herself in the world of algae, in order to fully understand the movements of the different species. Creating sepia prints which she displayed in Victorian albums, are reminiscent of the scrapbooks created by early collectors during the Victorian era when seaweed collecting was a popular past time for women.