Rebecca McGee Tuck
Subsurface, 2026
collected marine debris, oyster shells, found objects 60x20x12"
Inspired by oyster culture, this piece considers the act of filtration as a process of transformation. Oysters continuously cleanse and reshape their environment, offering a model of ecological repair within cycles of accumulation and renewal.
Rebecca McGee Tuck
Captain Sampson’s Lore, 2026
tea dyed cotton thread, aluminum, wire, found hook and chain 96x16x6"
This work reflects the labor embedded in fishing traditions and the materials that sustain them. Rope and netting become both useful and beautiful, yet carry an underlying danger—entanglement, exhaustion, and risk—revealing the complex relationship between survival, craft, and the sea.
Rebecca McGee Tuck
Neptune’s Knot, 2026
collected marine debris, reed, fish vertebrae 12x12x20" varies with installation
Combining ocean debris with natural materials, I aim to highlight the growing entanglement of human made plastics within marine environments. Neptune’s Knot draws its name from Posidonia oceanica, the seagrass whose fibrous balls—often called Neptune balls—wash ashore. This piece weaves ocean debris with natural materials, reflecting the entanglement of human-made and organic matter within marine ecosystems.
Rebecca McGee Tuck
Troubled Waters, 2024
collected ocean debris, cardboard, paint, thread 99x60x2"
Created during my 2024 residency at the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, this piece brings together community-made weavings constructed from marine debris. Each contribution was sewn into this whale’s tail, highlighting both collective action and the ongoing impact of ocean pollution.
Rebecca McGee Tuck
Threshold-fast, 2024
collected marine debris 52x40x5
Threshold Fast is made from marine debris gathered along the wrack line. It speaks to the fragility of our coastlines and the homes built at their edges, where erosion and rising seas are quickly erasing the threshold between safety and loss.
Rebecca McGee Tuck
Tidal Creed, 2022
collected marine debris: rope, line and bait bags 96”x24”x2”
I walk the wrackline of the Massachusetts coastline, collecting debris. With each bag of marine trash that I bring home, I feel the precarious weight of the impact of pollution in the ocean. Every time I set out for these wrack line walks, I am faced directly with the dark reality of man made objects that clutter, tangle and threaten sea life. With my work I hope to raise awareness to the constant misuse of the ocean’s ecosystem by transforming pieces of sea debris into works of art and symbols of hope-- calling attention to the consequences of poisoning our oceans and encouraging a new commitment to action!
