A collection of striking photographs highlighting the amount of rubbish washing up on Isle of Wight beaches is now on display in one of Ryde’s smallest art galleries.
The work, titled 100 Fragments, has been created by Island fine art photographer Zoë Barker and is currently being showcased at Re:Box, the phone box gallery on Lind Street in Ryde.
Since August 2023, Zoë has been recording how long it takes her to collect 100 fragments of rubbish from Ryde beach, before arranging and photographing each collection on a black circular tray.
Each photograph is titled according to the time taken to gather the 100 discarded objects, with the quickest collection taking just 4 minutes and 6 seconds.
That equates to finding one piece of discarded rubbish – primarily plastic – every 2.46 seconds.
While the resulting images are visually striking, they also highlight what Zoë describes as a growing environmental crisis unfolding in the world’s oceans. She said:
“There’s a striking contradiction between the collective beauty of these images and the reality that they represent.
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Zoë hopes the photographs will encourage people to think more carefully about their consumption habits and the impact of discarded items.
The work is also currently part of the Ryde Art Collective 2026 Exhibition at Quay Arts in Newport, where it will remain on display until 7th November.
The Re:Box installation marks the first time Zoë’s own work has been exhibited in the gallery, which she curates alongside writer Anmarie Bowler.
Anmarie said the opportunity to showcase the photographs in the phone box came at the perfect time. She said:
“We’ve always showcased compelling pieces from Island artists, aware that we might one day install Zoë’s work in the phone box.
“While on exhibit at Quay Arts, this seemed like the perfect time to allow passersby to see the beautiful but ultimately shocking images she’s created.”
Re:Box is housed in a classic red Kiosk No.6 telephone box on Lind Street. The kiosk was purchased by Ryde Town Council for £1 through BT’s Adopt a Kiosk initiative before being transformed into a public art space.
The gallery regularly features work from local artists, with new installations appearing around 6 to 8 times each year.
