Rockland Public Library is hosting artist Eric Darling for a talk on his recycled rope art at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19.

A piece by Eric Darling made from recycled rope depicting a fire-breathing dragon. Courtesy of Rockland Public Library

Over the past few years, Darling has collected over a ton of abandoned pot warp and has explored its versatility as a durable art medium. There is a cultural and historical connection between the lobster fishing line and the livelihoods of many coastal communities of Maine and beyond, which has inspired Darling to start the Drift Rope Project. The project has allowed Darling to create art with a mission: recycling one of Maine’s largest industries’ waste into fine art and highlighting how integral the rope is to the livelihoods of Maines’ coastal communities. He hopes 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 is a self-taught artist native to New England. He went west to earn a B.A. in anthropology at San Diego State University. Interests such as photography, travel and culture, as well as an overall appreciation for the natural world are all evident in his work. He tends to oscillate between media, using elements from his photography to catch impressions of fleeting moments with oil on canvas, or using wood, glass and stain, and upcycled pot warp in mixed media assembly and sculpture. For more information about the artist, visit ericdarlingart.com.

This program is free and open to all. For more information about the event or for the Zoom link to attend from home, email elewis@rocklandmaine.gov.