A new exhibition is coming to Gallery Oldham which focuses on the global crisis of plastic pollution in the Earth's oceans.

Called Our Plastic Ocean, the exhibition showcases the work of award-winning photographer Mandy Barker, who collects waste from shorelines across the world and uses them to create powerful images.

Her pictures are designed to look like sea creatures at first glance, but on closer inspection, they can be seen to be made of rubbish.

There are currently eight million tonnes of plastic dumped in the world’s oceans each year and if these trends continue, our oceans could contain more plastic than fish by 2050.

One image, named Soup 500, shows more than 500 pieces of plastic debris that were found in the digestive tract of an albatross chick in the North Pacific Gyre.

The Oldham Times: Soup 500Soup 500 (Image: Oldham Council)

Another, called 10-20 Indefinite, displays countless plastic bag seams, which are a major killer of marine animals.

The exhibition also features notebooks and journals documenting Barker’s voyages and research.

Barker said: "For the past decade, I have researched and documented the impact of oceanic waste, combining art and science to raise awareness.

"I hope to inspire positive action in tackling this increasing environmental challenge which is of global concern."

The Oldham Times: 10-20 Indefinite 10-20 Indefinite (Image: Oldham Council)

Our Plastic Ocean premiered at Impressions Gallery in Bradford, is the first major touring retrospective of Barker's work.

Barker, 58, is originally from Hull and her work involving marine plastic waste has been published in publications such as National Geographic, TIME Magazine, The Guardian, The Financial Times and many more.

Cllr Elaine Taylor, Deputy Leader of Oldham Council and Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, said: "We are proud to have the first major UK touring retrospective of Mandy Barker’s work at Gallery Oldham.

"As a council we are committed to going greener and it’s important for us to share this compelling work which explores an urgent and timely issue.

"We want to see all our residents disposing of their waste correctly by recycling their household items, including plastic bottles."

The exhibition begins on Saturday, December 10 and runs until March 11, 2023.

There is a curator tour on Wednesday, January 35, 2023, at 2pm, where residents can meet in the exhibition and there is no need to book.