Duke Riley is an American artist. Riley earned a BFA in painting from the

Rhode Island School of Design The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD , pronounced "Riz-D") is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase th ...

, and a MFA in Sculpture from the

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York. It has an additional campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The institute was founded in 18 ...

. He lives in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York. He is noted for a body of work incorporating the seafarer's craft with nautical history, as well as the host of a series of illegal clambakes on the Brooklyn waterfront for the New York artistic community. Riley told the

Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Ma ...

that he has "always been interested in the space where water meets land in the urban landscape."Life of Riley
, Silke Tudor, May 23, 2006, Village Voice

Works

One of Riley's projects entailed a bar constructed from found objects in the concrete pilings that supported the humming

Belt Parkway The Belt Parkway is the name given to a series of controlled-access highway, controlled-access Parkways in New York, parkways that form a belt-like circle around the Borough (New York City), New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The Belt ...

. Riley told a reporter for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' that he charged for the drinks so that he was violating New York law by selling alcohol without a license as well as trespassing on federal property. In 2007, Riley launched a replica of the Revolutionary War era ''Turtle'', a small wooden submarine designed to enable American patriots to sink British Navy ships by attaching mines to the hulls. He and two companions who had helped him construct the wooden submarine were arrested by the New York City police when they came within 200 feet of the ''

Queen Mary 2 RMS ''Queen Mary 2'' (''QM2'') is a British ocean liner. She has served as the flagship of the Cunard Line since April 2004, and as of 2025, is the only active, purpose-built ocean liner still in service. ''Queen Mary 2'' sails regular transat ...

'', without authorization, at New York City's Red Hook Brooklyn cruise ship terminal. Jesse Bushnell, one of the men arrested with Riley, is a descendant of

David Bushnell David Bushnell may refer to: * David Bushnell (inventor) (1740 – 1824), American inventor, inventor of the ''Turtle'' submersible * David Bushnell (historian) (1923 – 2010), American historian * David P. Bushnell (1913 – 2005), American en ...

, the inventor of the Turtle. In 2009 he constructed four ships for the purpose of staging a

Naumachia A naumachia (in Latin , from the Ancient Greek /, literally "naval combat") was a mock naval battle staged as mass entertainment by the Ancient Romans. The staging would typically occur in a specially-dug basin, also known as a naumachia. Earl ...

, a Roman-style

gladiator A gladiator ( , ) was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their ...

ial sea battle staged for an audience. Riley's Naumachia, entitled, ''Those About to Die Salute You,'' was staged at the

Queens Museum of Art The Queens Museum (formerly the Queens Museum of Art) is an art museum and educational center at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, United States. Established in 1972, the museum includes the '' Panorama of the City of Ne ...

in a reflecting pool left over from the

1964 World's Fair The 1964 New York World's Fair (also known as the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair) was an international exposition at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, United States. The fair included exhibitions, activities, perform ...

that was filled with 70,000 gallons of water for the occasion.In Queens, a Battle on the Low Seas, and May the Best Artist Win
''The New York Times'', Libby Nelson, August 14, 2009 Since the weapons were

baguette A baguette (; ) is a long, thin type of bread of French origin that is commonly made from basic lean dough (the dough, not the shape, is defined by French law). It is distinguishable by its length and crisp crust. A baguette has a diameter ...

and tomatoes, and the audience as well as the warriors dressed in period costume,

Artnet Artnet.com is an art market website. It is operated by Artnet Worldwide Corporation, which has headquarters in New York City. It is owned by Artnet AG, a German publicly-traded company based in Berlin that is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Ex ...

described the event as something between a

Toga party A toga party is a Greco-Roman-themed costume party where attendees wear a garment inspired by ancient Roman clothing (normally made from a bed sheet) with sandals. The costumes, party games, and other entertainment often adhere to the Roman or Gre ...

and fraternity

food fight A food fight is a form of chaotic collective behavior, in which foodstuffs are thrown at others in the manner of projectiles. These projectiles are not made nor meant to harm others, but to simply ignite a fight filled with spontaneous food th ...

. Riley constructed ships from four different historical periods, including a model of his nemesis, the Queen Mary 2. The ships were crewed by staff from four New York City Museums, the

, the

Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 500,000 objects. Located near the Prospect Heig ...

, the

Bronx Museum of the Arts The Bronx Museum of the Arts (BxMA), also called the Bronx Museum of Art or simply the Bronx Museum, is an American cultural institution located in Concourse, Bronx, New York. The museum focuses on contemporary and 20th-century works created by ...

and

El Museo del Barrio El Museo del Barrio, often known simply as El Museo (the museum), is a museum at 1230 Fifth Avenue in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is located near the northern end of Fifth Avenue's Museum Mile, immediately north of the Museum of the City ...

of Manhattan. Although the ships sank rapidly, Riley told ''The New York Times'' that he considered the work of art a success since no one was killed, drowned, injured or arrested. In 2016, ''Fly by Night'', a performance in the Brooklyn night sky by 2,000 Riley-trained, LED light-carrying pigeons enjoyed tremendous critical and popular success; ''The New York Times'' called it "a revelation." His 2017 exhibit, ''Now Those Days Are Gone'', featured drawings and samplers depicting individual birds, mostly

pigeon Columbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. ...

s, as well as including a bicycle, army truck, and MASH supplies. In 2018, Riley's work ''Fly by Night'' was featured as part of the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT) 2018. A temporary artwork was installed at the end of the Ridgeway, in South East London, on land previously used as the driving range for the Thamesview Golf centre on the

Thames Path The Thames Path is a National Trail following the River Thames from one of its sources near Kemble, Gloucestershire, Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Woolwich foot tunnel, south east London. It is about long. A path was first proposed in 1948 ...

Solo exhibitions

*2022 “DEATH TO THE LIVING, Long Live Trash”, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, N
Brooklyn Museum: DEATH TO THE LIVING, Long Live Trash
*2017 "Now Those Days Are Gone", Magnan Metz Gallery, New York, NY *2013 "Trading With The Enemy", Magnan Metz Gallery, New York, NY *2012 "The Rematch", Zhujiajiao, Shanghai *2011 "Two Riparian Tales of Undoing", Magnan Metz Gallery, New York, NY *2010 "An Invitation of Lubberland", Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art, Ohio "Reclaiming the Lost Kingdom of Laird", as part of "Philagrafika 2010", Historical Society of Pennsylvania "Second St. Patrick's Day Parade", Havana, Cuba *2009 "Those About to Die Salute You", Queens Museum of Art, NY "First St. Patrick's Day Parade", Havana, Cuba *2007 "After the Battle of Brooklyn: East River Incognita 2", Magnan Projects, New York, NY *2006 "Duke Riley Presents Paul Pierce for Chanel", "Six Feet Under Series", White Box, New York, NY *2005 "United Islands of the East River: East River Incognita", Sarah Lawrence College, NY *2001 "Duke Riley", Climate 8, New York, NY

Group exhibitions

*2023 "Like Two Sealed Copies of Expansions," Tempus Projects, Tampa, FL *2013 "Battle Ground," Proteus Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY *2012 "To The Stars On The Wings Of An Eel", Gowanus Ballroom, Brooklyn, NY *2011 "Sea Worthy", Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, New York, NY "Bienal do Mercosul", Port Alegre, Brazil *2010 "Announcing Magnan Metz Gallery", Magnan Metz Gallery, New York, NY *2009 "Bright Path", Little Berlin, Philadelphia, PA "Seaworthy", Corridor Gallery, Brooklyn, NY "Rent Control: NYC Documented and Imagined", The Maysles Institute, Harlem, NY "Chelsea Visits Havana: Havana Biennial", Museo de Bellas Artes, Havana, Cuba *2008 "Maritime: Ships Pirates & Disasters", Contemporary Art Galleries, Storrs, CT "Building Steam", Grossman Gallery, Lafayette College, Easton, PA "Plastic Topography, South Street Seaport Museum", Melville Gallery, New York, NY *2007 "Grow Your Own", Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France "Emergency Room", P.S. 1 Center for Contemporary Art, Queens, NY "Mixed Signals", Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, New York, NY *2006 "Ultimate Destination" D.U.M.B.O. Arts Center Gallery, Brooklyn, NY *2005 "Building", British Consulate, Belfast, Northern Ireland "A Knock At The Door", Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, New York, NY "We Could Have Invited Everyone", Andrew Krepps Gallery, New York, NY "Inaugural Opening", Magnan Projects, New York, NY *2004 "Benefit Show", Robert Miller Gallery, New York, NY "T&A IV", GV/AS Gallery, Brooklyn, NY "Book", Weir Space, Belfast, Northern Ireland *2002 "Invitational Group Show", National Arts Show", New York, NY *2001 "Night Swimming", State of Art Gallery, Brooklyn, NY *2000 "Of Earth and Sky", American Museum of National History, New York, NY *1999 "Three-Perwson Exhibition", C. Francis Gallery, Providence, RI *1996 "Invitational Group Show", Bernard Toale Gallery, Boston, MA

Awards, Grants, and Scholarships

*2013 The Percent for Art Commission, PS 343 Manhattan, NY *2012 Creative Time Global Residency, Africa Gasworks International Residency Programme, London *2011 Pollock-Krasner Foundation, New York, NY smARTpower, U.S. State Department, Shanghai, China Residency, The Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant, Painters an Sculptors, New York, NY *2010 MTA Arts for Transit ArtCard, New York, NY AICA Award, 2nd Place Best Project in a Public Space: "Duke Riley: Those About to Die Salute You" *2009 Art Matters Foundation, New York, NY *2008 MTA Arts for Transit Commission: Beach 98th Street Station Renovation, 2011 Completion Chashama Residency, Fremantle Arts Center, Fremantle, Western Australia *2007 Residency, Fremantle Arts Center, Fremantle, Western Australia *2005 Graduate Academic Achievement Scholarship, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY' Circumnavigate, Independent Project Grant, Artists Space, New York, NY *2004 Lagenside Development Corporation Grant, Cathedral Arts Quarter, Annual Festival, Belfast, Northern Ireland *2003 Belfast Arts and Business Partners Foundation Grant, Northern Ireland

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Riley, Duke American artists Living people Rhode Island School of Design alumni Pratt Institute alumni Year of birth missing (living people)