Duke Riley’s Fly By Night

“Fly By Night”, by artist Duke Riley, was commissioned by the public arts organization Creative Time in spring 2016. Thousands of trained carrier pigeons were housed on a boat and released into the night sky to fly, twist, and swirl as a flock. Lightweight L.E.D. lights were affixed to their bodies, resulting in a paean to nature, New York’s history of rooftop pigeon fanciers, and the U.S. military’s use of messenger birds. I created the visual identity, collateral, and robust signage. Drawing heavily from Duke Riley’s own illustration style, the identity uses graphic pigeons arranged in an emblem. Vaguely militaristic, the mark locates the project firmly in its historical location: Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Identity | Signage | Exhibition