The Rockport Public Library will be hosting a show of work from Maine artist Eric Darling’s Drift Rope Project from September 5 – 27. Darling recycles cords of discarded pot warp from the lobstering industry and transforms them into vibrant and durable works of fine art.
“There is a cultural and historical connection between the rope and the livelihoods of many coastal communities of Maine and beyond,” says Darling. “I hope to pioneer a new frontier of sustainable art and bring awareness to the many ways this overlooked material could become an art tourism attraction.”
Darling has been practicing art, mostly oil painting, for over twenty years. Since 2015 he has been exploring ways to use rope in artistic ways. Darling received an Artist Springboard Grant in 2021 (funded in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission), which allowed him to explore new techniques using the recycled rope to create figurative wall art, garden sculptures, and functional forms.
To learn more about Eric Darling, his Drift Rope Project, and his other artistic endeavors, visit rockportlibrary.net and ericdarlingart.com.
