Artist Duke Riley used match heads, tampon applicators and seashells — collected from the shores of Virginia Beach — to create a mosaic of a cargo ship barging through an ocean filled with whales. The piece, “O’er the Wide and Plastic Sea,” is one of several in his show at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, which opens this weekend. The exhibition weaves humor, nautical-inspired art, his love of maritime history and concern for environmental destruction.
The collection, “Duke Riley: O’er the Wide and Plastic Sea,” spans 20 years and pulls together pieces exhibited worldwide with art created to reflect Virginia Beach. Its themes touch on American grit and ingenuity as he explores contemporary issues through a folklore-inspired style.
“There's some cynicism, there's some finger-pointing, there’s some heavy-hitting content,” said Melissa Messina, the exhibit’s curator and friend of the artist. “In its own kind of creative way, it's also inviting … it’s a moment of reflection.”
Riley uses empty detergent bottles, fishing lures, lighters, pens and other discarded objects to create intricate sculptures and mosaics. His other work includes videos, photography, prints, embroideries and paintings.
Born in Boston and based in Brooklyn, Riley incorporates his love of the East coastline and the impact of pollution with his love of history and nautical adventure. Several of his locally inspired pieces, including a mosaic of the Civil War-era USS Monitor, predate his debut in Hampton Roads. Riley dove deep into Hampton Roads culture by visiting Norfolk tattoo shops to discuss the history of naval tattoos, exploring antique stores and visiting museums to learn more about the area’s development and ties to the water, including tourism. He collected trash and worked with nonprofits and individuals to clean up beaches, setting up collection bins at Virginia MOCA before the exhibition.
“I have never had success helicoptering in a big, bold-faced-name artist and bringing them to a community and expecting the community to stand at attention,” Messina said. “I think a community needs to have engagement with the artist as much as the artist needs to have engagement with the community,” she said. “Duke’s work is very much about storytelling and that comes from conversations and relationships, no matter how casual or intimate.”
Riley’s narratives bring a lightness and poignancy to tough discussions about the oceans and the damage they endure. Messina said his work has a way of bringing people together and inspiring innovative problem-solving.
“It brings you in with an interesting sense of humor,” Messina said, but it’s not about imposing opinions or solutions. “It’s about getting people to think.”
"Duke Riley’s: O’er the Wide and Plastic Sea" previews at the Virginia MOCA Thursday, February 6. Free for members; $10 for non-members. The exhibition opens to the public Friday and runs through August. 31. Admission is free. The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art , 2200 Parks Ave. Virginia Beach. virginiamoca.org.
