Duke Riley’s scrimshaw takes forms as varied as the trash collected. Though many take the form of bottles, some are whimsical as this lawn flamingo.
By swapping the typical base materials of whales’ teeth and bones for discarded plastics collected from New York City’s waterways, Duke Riley revives the art of scrimshaw and shines a light on environmental issues. The objects are treated to appear like ivory and then decorated with modernized imagery and decorative motifs reminiscent of those used by the nineteenth century whalers.
The term scrimshaw originally refers to the artworks created by nineteenth century North American whalers by covering discarded whales’ teeth, bones, and baleen with incised decoration. Whale products in North America and Europe as well as ivory throughout the world were used in both art and commerce. In the twentieth century commercial applications of these materials were replaced by plastics and other petroleum products.
Overfishing of whale populations in the nineteenth century did irreparable damage to the world’s oceans. The petroleum products that have replaced that industry continue to leave a lasting mark on land and in the sea. See for yourself how Riley’s work highlights the cycles of environmental destruction caused by human industry in #DukeRileyBkM.
📷 Duke Riley (American, born 1972). No. 265 of The Poly S. Tyrene Memorial Maritime Museum, 2020. Salvaged, painted plastic. Courtesy of the artist. © Duke Riley. (Photo: Duke Riley Studio)