Rebecca McGee Tuck is a sculptor and an ocean activist. Her work is a visual narrative of what she accumulates from a throw away society and as a result she gives new life to what others discard. Tuck has shown her work in multiple juried shows throughout the Northeast including the Danforth and Fitchburg Art Museums, Viridian Arts Gallery,  NYC, and the George Marshall Store Gallery in York, Maine.   Her series of work called  “Along the Wrack Line” deals with the overwhelming amount of debris and plastic trash that contaminate our local New England beaches.  Tuck works among her menagerie of debris from her studio at the Mill Contemporary Art Studios in Framingham.

Meet the artist on Tuesday, April 30th from 5:00-6:30PM at the Bacon free Library.

Wrack Line–  A trail of debris left on the beach by the high tide.

I began walking the wrack line as a kid with my father—attracted to the sea glass and shells like a perpetual seaside treasure hunt.  I learned in time that the real treasures were not always as conspicuous.  The random debris that washed ashore after spending ages enduring the ocean’s churn and grasp held more mystery for me.  Foraging at the high tide water mark has metamorphosed into my passion and catalyst for my work. 

Fishing lines, rope, lobster cages and other marine debris are colorful, full of texture and ready-made to be woven into my assemblage fiber sculpture.  But with each bag of jetsam collected, I felt the precarious weight of the impact of marine debris on our ocean.  It has overwhelmed me and it became clear that I needed to take a more active role in the ocean’s protection. 

“Along the Wrack-line” is the title I have given to my ongoing series of sculpture.  With this work I raise awareness to the constant misuse of the ocean’s ecosystem by transforming pieces of marine debris into works of art and symbols of hope calling attention to the consequences of polluting our oceans and encouraging a new commitment to action!