Portrait of the Artist as an Old Dog

With an incredibly independent spirit, Tucker arrived in Cleveland, Ohio in February of 2008. Estimated to be between 10-12 years of age and struggling with undiagnosed neurological and digestive diseases, this weak and wobbly German Shepherd weighed in at an emaciated 49 pounds; he was truly a starving artist.

Tucker ran loose in rural Ohio for an undetermined amount of time dragging a large bolt and chain. The animal control officer pursued him for weeks before finally corralling him. For the first few days in her custody, Tucker must have believed he was still chained because he walked in circles. After being held in the county facility for the mandatory time period, he remained unclaimed. During this time, the animal control officer was able to see his sweet and gentle nature emerge. She knew Tucker's chances of adoption were slim at the local shelter due to his advanced age and obvious health conditions. She sought out the Sanctuary for Senior Dogs in Cleveland, cajoled the Executive Director into taking him in and then drove him the hour north herself. After a short period of time in the care of the Sanctuary, Tucker settled into his permanent  foster home in Lakewood, Ohio.

Soon after, he was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy,  the canine equivalent of multiple sclerosis. Due to this condition, Tucker cannot “lift his leg” in the usual manner in order to pee. Rather, he walks and waggles his way down the path leaving these elaborate streams in his wake. His foster mom saw beauty in these elaborate patterns and began photographing the unique and unusual configurations.  Her lens captured the compositions as they spontaneously occurred in the natural course of their daily strolls through the neighborhood.

Educated on the rural roads of central Ohio, Tucker earned his BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arfs) in residence. He briefly dabbled in biscuit mosaics and rawhide drawing until he realized that he did, in fact, need an opposable thumb. His preference for the urine medium began to emerge shortly after his move to Lakewood. Tucker states that the canvas of the century old suburb’s varied sidewalk surfaces provides an exceptional backdrop for his expressionistic work. From swirling concrete sections to smooth sandstone slabs, the diverse textures of these assorted surfaces allow him to experiment with his compositions through careful use of texture and contrast.

Tipping the scales at a healthy but still skinny 70 pounds, Tucker has earned notoriety in his neighborhood as a prolific sidewalk artist creating several pee-ces of art each day. Although he has not barked once in the two years he has been with his permanent foster family, one look at his unique form of expression proves Tucker has plenty to say!