Duke Riley's "DEATH TO THE LIVING, Long Live Trash" at The Brooklyn Museum showcases nautical-inspired artwork made from beach trash. This exhibition showcases a diverse range of artwork, including Sailor Valentine Octagon mosaics, scrimshaw paintings, and handmade fishing lures, all of which serve as a reminder of the destructive impact of our consumption-driven culture on the environment.
Riley's innovative use of discarded trash collected from the beach, rather than traditional materials like shells and bones, to create these historic-inspired works of art gives them a contemporary twist. The use of trash, as the new shell, has a profound meaning: our plastic waste has overtaken natural resources, and we have replaced wildlife with our insatiable desire to consume.
This art speaks to the conscience of the wealthy consumer class, as it does not shy away from the uncomfortable truth of pollution but instead presents it in an aesthetically pleasing manner that is perfect for Angelina Jolie to post on Instagram. One of the significant problems with contemporary art, especially in the context of environmental and social issues, is that it is often co-opted by the wealthy elite as a tool for virtue signaling and self-aggrandizement. By purchasing socially conscious artwork, the rich can absolve themselves of responsibility for the very problems that they have played a significant role in creating.
The fact that plastic waste has become the new shell is a direct result of a system that prioritizes profit over people and the planet. Yet, Riley fails to engage with this critical issue in any meaningful way. He instead produces work that is in line with his ‘style’ and is politically conscious enough.
The way that Riley approaches the waste crisis is powerful without being to direct. In particular, at first glance the mosaic pieces are colorful and inviting to look at, but upon further inspection the trash that it is made of is apparent and brings a sense of dread that all that waste has been able to be accumulated. It is deceiving and not overly criticizing, but more of a display of harsh truths about excess waste. I don't think that art has to directly state its purpose to still be talking about said issues.
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