Metal and glass artwork at Long Island Rail Road Northport station by artist Duke Riley playfully interrogates the town’s nautical and farming histories in the artist’s iconic style. The artwork, titled "All That Was South Is East of Me Now," is situated underneath the platform canopy featuring a unified composition across seven metal and glass panels

Across the vast composition are two large, stylized weathervanes rendered in metal, which signal riders’ arrival in the town that was once known as “Great Cow Harbor.” On the east metal panel, a large cow sits above waves giving way to a barn and a mill, recalling the area’s early history as lush farmland. Allusions to the village’s agricultural origins continue with two tombstones situated under a willow tree–a reference to the small cemetery next to Northport’s Home Depot where the 17th century Burr farming family lies in rest.

As an avid sailor, Riley derives inspiration from urban waterways to recontextualize environmental histories. The silhouetted depiction that forms the basis of the metal and glass artwork resembles Riley’s artistic practice using ink and found objects to make urban scrimshaw, the activity of engraving bone or ivory which was historically done by 19th century whalers while at sea. Discarded bottles, like the ones Riley repurposes, bob in the waves as shown in the glass panels, calling attention to the proliferation of plastic pollution found in bodies of water all over the world. A tugboat, 19th century clipper ship, schooner, and other ships connect to the nautical history of the area reminding viewers of the vessels that have traversed the Long Island Sound and passed Northport’s harbor across time.

Referencing the tightknit waterfront communities that call Northport home, the artist silhouettes historical houses rising out of water in clusters, each adorned with idiosyncratic weathervanes featuring animals and objects. Pigeons, another source of enduring interest for Riley, appear in-flight across the glass and metal artwork. In addition to several silhouetted birds in flight, realized in black steel, three additional pigeons are rendered in full color in glass component, a nod to Riley’s friends in the local pigeon clubs. Heading east, the flock resembles Northport’s Long Island Rail Road commuters heading home to roost in their beloved village. Totaling approximately 500 square feet, the artwork was fabricated in metal by KC Fabrications and in glass by Tom Patti Designs.

Duke Riley received his BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and his MFA from Pratt Institute. Riley is fascinated by maritime history and events around urban waterways. His signature style interweaves historical and contemporary events with elements of folklore and myth to create allegorical histories. His re-imagined narratives comment on a range of issues from the cultural impact of over development and environmental destruction of waterfront communities to contradictions within political ideologies and the role of the artist in society. Riley has previously been commissioned by MTA Arts & Design for permanent art at NYCT Beach 98 St station and an art card in 2010.