Duke Riley and Tattly Team Up for Charity

Among all of the damage caused by 2012’s Hurricane Sandy the destruction of the New York Aquarium seemed to fly under the radar. Clearly rebuilding a habitat for fish was a far less pressing concern than helping people put their lives back together in the aftermath of the storm but that doesn’t mean that the New York Aquarium should be completely forgotten.

In an effort to raise some funds to rebuild the Coney Island institution tattoo artist Duke Riley has teamed up with Tattly to create a temporary tattoo design with 80% of the proceeds being donated directly to the restoration effort. For a mere $5 you can purchase the temporary tattoo mussels and throw them on your muscles; you’ll not only be wearing a cool piece of art but you’ll be helping a worthy cause.

Riley’s love of the sea is clearly evident throughout his tattoos, his art and his eccentric hobbies. Scrimshaw carvings of yesteryear are one of the many influences on Riley’s tattoos and many of the tattoos Riley has done have a similar maritime theme. Mermaids, pirates, whales and seabirds are all prominent features throughout his work. But it is in his life outside of the tattoo shop where Riley’s affection for the ocean is most evident.

Back in 2007 Riley was arrested off the coast of Red Hook, Brooklyn, in an act of “marine mischief.” A swarm of New York City Police boats surrounded Riley as he sat in a homemade wooden submarine. The ship was modeled off of a Revolutionary War era craft called the Turtle and Riley was apprehended as he and two of his friends attempted to approach the Queen Mary 2 as it was docked. How awesome is that?

Naturally Riley was the only person Tattly could turn to for this project. You can pick up the temporary tattoos at this link. If you want to see some more of Riley’s tattoos you can see his Freshly Inkedinterview here.