Duke Riley at Magnan Metz Gallery

Last year, from the decks of a decommissioned Navy ship, artist Duke Riley orchestrated dramatic light shows with over one thousand pigeons carrying LED lights on their legs. If the birds seemed anonymous as they put on a light show in the dark, their identities come into focus now at a two-gallery exhibition of related artwork, including a room of hand-painted and embroidered portraits of 1,000 birds. (On view at Magnan Metz Gallery’s pop up location at 524 West 26th Street and 521 West 26th Street through Oct 21st).

Duke Riley, installation view of ‘The Armies of the Night,’ embroidery and paint on canvas, 14 x 9 inches, 2017.

Duke Riley at Magnan Metz Gallery

Built from materials reclaimed from shipwrecks off Florida’s Key West, this pigeon coop houses birds trained by New York artist Duke Riley to fly from Havana to Key West bearing cigars in carefully crafted slings.  Grids of painted bird portraits detail the fates of the participants, who were named after filmmakers who had brushes with the law, or historical smugglers.  (At Chelsea’s Magnan Metz Gallery through Jan 11th).  

Duke Riley, installation view of ‘See You At the Finish Line,’ at Magnan Metz Gallery, Dec, 2013.