Rebecca McGee Tuck
Along the Wrack Line
About THE ARTIST
Rebecca McGee Tuck is a fiber artist, a sculptor and a collector of lost objects. After a 25-year hiatus from art school to raise her family, Tuck earned her BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2019. Her work is a visual narrative of what she accumulates from a throwaway society, and as a result, how she gives new life to what others discard. Tuck has shown her work in multiple juried shows throughout New England including the Beacon Gallery and the Fountain Street Gallery in Boston. She has recently been selected to be an Associate's Member of the Boston Sculptors Gallery. Tuck works among her menagerie of debris from her studio at the Mill Contemporary Art Studios in Framingham.
Artist Statement
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 oceans churn and grasp, held more mystery for me. Foraging at the high tide water mark has metamorphosed into my passion and the 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, at times, overwhelmed me and it became clear that I needed to take a more active role in the ocean’s protection.
The work created for Along the Wrack Line raises awareness to the constant misuse of the Ocean’s ecosystem. I transform 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!
About THIS EXHIBITION
December 3, 2020 through February 14, 2021
Rebecca McGee Tuck weaves a sculptural narrative using sea debris she collects along the Massachusetts shoreline. The Present Tense Prize, awarding a solo exhibition and a $1,000 award, recognizes an artist whose work exemplifies new practices, artistic risk-taking, and excellence in execution.
Along the Wrack Line is on view in ArtsWorcester's East Gallery, located at 44 Portland Street, Worcester MA.
Gallery hours run Thursdays through Sundays, 12:00 to 5:00 pm.
Visitors (limited to 7 at any time) are required to reserve a free, forty-five minute time-slot in advance on Eventbrite before entering the galleries. Gallery visitors are required to wear a mask or face covering before visiting ArtsWorcester.
ArtsWorcester exhibitions are sustained in part by the C. Jean and Myles McDonough Charitable Foundation.
Red Tide (detail)
Explore the show
Tow Away Zone, sea debris, 72" x 40" x 24", 2020, $2,200
Tow Away Zone (detail)
Tow Away Zone (detail)
"Foraging at the high tide water mark has metamorphosed into my passion and the catalyst for my work."
-- Rebecca McGee Tuck
Hawser-Laid, sea debris, 80" x 20", 2018, $500 (SOLD)
Green Tides, sea debris, 80" x 26" x 10", 2020, $800
Aerie, sea debris, found objects, zip ties, wood, steel, 48" x 30" x 14", 2020, $1,800
Red Tide, sea debris, 20" x 14" x 4", 2020, $450
Yellow Jack, sea debris, steel, 18" x 16" x 5", 2020, $1,500
Yellow Jack (detail)
Yellow Jack (detail)
Happy Birthday Ocean, 150 collected balloons from beach and sea and other sea debris, 144" x 48" x 48", 2020, $3,200
Happy Birthday Ocean (detail)
Beach Toys 5¢- The High Cost of a Throw Away Society (detail)
Beach Toys 5¢- The High Cost of a Throw Away Society, found objects and sea debris, 20" x 10"x 10", 2020, $1500
Sea Bin, steel, beach sand, single use plastic containers, 18" x 18" x 78", 2020, $2,200
Sea Bin (details)
Prowess, sea debris, steel, wood, wire, 57" x 20" x 12", 2019, $2,200
If On A Winter's Day For A Traveler, sea debris, steel, 13" x 12" x 3", 2019, Not For Sale
Prowess (detail)
Regarding Coral, sea debris, steel, yarns, wire, paint, 26" x 18" x 15", 2019, $1,800
Regarding Coral (detail)
Around the Horn (detail)
Around the Horn, sea debris, steel, wire, yarn, 30" x 20" x 15", 2020, $1,800
19 Fathoms, sea debris, steel, wire, various salvaged fabrics, 37" x 36" x 15", 2019, $2,800
19 Fathoms (detail)
Artwork photography courtesy of Carla McElroy Photography (@carlamcelroyphoto)
Surfrider Foundation
The artist will be accepting donations on behalf of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. Their volunteer-led mission is to protect and enjoy our ocean, waves, and beaches, for all people, via education, advocacy, and events like beach cleanups. Surfrider is thrilled to recognize the common threads that Rebecca's work shares with their work. For more, please visit: ma.surfrider.org
Take ATWL with you
Small jars filled with sandy ocean debris are available in-gallery as free takeaways from this show. Make a $25 or more donation to the Massachusetts Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and take home a bit of ocean!
Jars can be taken home the day of your visit to the gallery. If you are enjoying ATWL from home and would like to reserve a jar to pick up at a later date, you may send a receipt of your donation to Surfrider to alice@artsworcester.org.
Creating this exhibition
"The work created for Along the Wrack Line raises awareness to the constant misuse of the ocean’s ecosystem. I transform 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!"
-- Rebecca McGee Tuck
step into the gallery
Concurrently on view:
State of Being: Works by Worcester Public Schools Visual Arts Faculty
Part of ArtsWorcester’s partnership with the Worcester Public Schools, State of Being showcases the diverse studio practices of the artists who also teach this city’s students.