Adrian Riley

Last updated
Adrian Riley
Adrian Riley with text artwork Come Follow Me at Grimsby Minster.jpg
Riley in 2022
Born1971 (age 5253)
Education Leeds Arts University
Occupations

Adrian Riley (b. Leeds, 1971) is a British artist and graphic designer based in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. [1] [2] Riley has created permanent artworks for the public realm across the UK, including work for The National Trust, English Heritage, NHS, RSPB, and local authorities and arts organisations. Primarily working with words, especially with local residents as co-creators, Riley has also collaborated with writers and poets, including Simon Armitage, Ian Duhig, John W. Clarke and Kate Evans.

Contents

Early life and education

Riley was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire in 1971 and grew up in Pudsey close to the border with Bradford. He attended Pudsey Grangefield School and then studied graphic design at Leeds Arts University graduating in 1990. [3]

Career

Riley worked as a designer at Bradford College and Leeds Metropolitan University before forming the multidisciplinary design studio Electric Angel Design in Bradford in 2000. In Bradford he was part of the Atom Studios collective [4] based in a former woollen mill Bradford city centre. He worked on several projects with Artworks Creative Communities including his first public art - the design of metal gates in West Bowling co-created with the community and commissioned by English Heritage. [5]

In 2003, Riley relocated his studio to Scarborough where he co-founded the practitioners network Creative Coast [6] with local arts organisation Create.

In 2008 he co-presented the town's winning bid for the accolade of 'UK Enterprise Capital', [7] Scarborough went on to win the European Enterprise Awards the same year as the UK's entry with Scarborough's submission packs designed by Electric Angel. [8] [9] As a result Riley was invited to represent Scarborough meeting then Prime Minister Gordon Brown at Downing Street. [10]

In 2005, Electric Angel Design recreated the logo for the The Boys' Brigade. [11]

In 2022, Riley contributed to BBC Radio 4 Today programme series 'Britain's Favourite Beach' [12] with a response that looked at history through Scarborough;s illuminated seafront signage. [13]

Public artworks

Riley's work in the public realm includes:

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yorkshire</span> Historic county of Northern England

Yorkshire is an area of Northern England which was historically a county. It gives its name to four modern ceremonial counties: East Riding of Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire, which together cover most of the historic county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its original county town, the city of York, and the largest urban area is Leeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yorkshire and the Humber</span> Region of England

Yorkshire and the Humber is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The population in 2021 was 5,481,431 with its largest settlements being Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Hull, and York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Yorkshire</span> County of England

North Yorkshire is a ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber and North East regions of England. It borders County Durham to the north, the North Sea to the east, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the south-east, South Yorkshire to the south, West Yorkshire to the south-west, and Cumbria and Lancashire to the west. Northallerton is the county town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Yorkshire</span> County of England

West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire to the south, Greater Manchester to the south-west, and Lancashire to the west. The city of Leeds is the largest settlement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Armitage</span> English poet (born 1963)

Simon Robert Armitage is an English poet, playwright, musician and novelist. He was appointed Poet Laureate on 10 May 2019. He is professor of poetry at the University of Leeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flamborough Head</span> Promontory in Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Flamborough Head is a promontory, 8 miles (13 km) long on the Yorkshire coast of England, between the Filey and Bridlington bays of the North Sea. It is a chalk headland, with sheer white cliffs. The cliff top has two standing lighthouse towers, the oldest dating from 1669 and Flamborough Head Lighthouse built in 1806. The older lighthouse was designated a Grade II* listed building in 1952 and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England. The cliffs provide nesting sites for many thousands of seabirds, and are of international significance for their geology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeds railway station</span> Mainline railway station in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Leeds railway station is the mainline railway station serving the city centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is located on New Station Street to the south of City Square, at the foot of Park Row, behind the landmark Queens Hotel. It is one of 20 stations managed by Network Rail. As of December 2023, it was the busiest station in West Yorkshire, as well as in Yorkshire & the Humber, and the entirety of Northern England. It is the second busiest station in the UK outside of London, after Birmingham New Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bempton Cliffs</span> RSPB nature reserve in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Bempton Cliffs is a section of precipitous coast at Bempton in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is run by the RSPB as a nature reserve and is known for its breeding seabirds, including northern gannet, Atlantic puffin, razorbill, common guillemot, black-legged kittiwake and fulmar. There is a visitor centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brimham Rocks</span> Site of Special Scientific Interest in North Yorkshire, England

Brimham Rocks, once known as Brimham Crags, is a 183.9-hectare (454-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Geological Conservation Review (GCR) site, 8 miles (13 km) north-west of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, on Brimham Moor in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The site, notified as SSSI in 1958, is an outcrop of Millstone Grit, with small areas of birch woodland and a large area of wet and dry heath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeds Arts University</span> Specialist arts university in Leeds, England

Leeds Arts University is a specialist arts further and higher education institution, based in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with a main campus opposite the University of Leeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City Square, Leeds</span> Square in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

City Square is a paved area north of Leeds railway station at the junction of Park Row to the east and Wellington Street to the south. It is a triangular area where six roads meet: Infirmary Street and Park Row to the north, Boar Lane and Bishopsgate Street to the south-east, and Quebec Street and Wellington Street to the south-west. The only building with a direct frontage is the former General Post Office, on the north-west side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millennium Square, Leeds</span>

Millennium Square is a city square in the Civic Quarter of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was Leeds's flagship project to mark the year 2000, and was jointly funded by Leeds City Council and the Millennium Commission. Total cost of production was £12 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UK Rock Challenge</span> Former performing arts competition

The UK Rock Challenge was the British arm of the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge. The Rock Challenge was an anti-drug and crime-prevention event that took the form of a friendly performing arts competition for schools and colleges. Originating in Australia in the 1980s, it reached the United Kingdom after inspector Mark Pontin of Hampshire saw it in 1995 and was so impressed that he persuaded Hampshire's constabulary to form a joint venture with Tony Barron, chairman of the Hampshire Education Committee and Peter Coles, UK Rock Challenge's chief executive. Together, they introduced it in Hampshire and found joint funding to support it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Yorkshire</span>

Tourism in Yorkshire generates more than £9 billion per annum and supporting almost 225,000 jobs. During 2007 recorded 92 million day visitors and 12.8 million that stayed at least one night in the region. By 2015, the value of tourism was in excess of £7 billion. Yorkshire is around 6,000 square miles (16,000 km2) in size. The official tourism body for the region was Welcome to Yorkshire until it became insolvent in 2022. As of December 2023, Local Visitor Economy Partnerships to manage tourism have been announced for Hull and East Yorkshire, York and North Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakwood Hall</span> House in Bingley, West Yorkshire

Oakwood Hall, Bingley, West Yorkshire, England is a 19th-century mansion with interior fittings by the Victorian architect William Burges. The hall was constructed in 1864 by Knowles and Wilcox of Bradford for Thomas Garnett, a prosperous textile merchant. The style is "conventionally dour Gothic".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bertie Snowball</span> English professional golfer

Bertie Snowball was an English professional golfer who played in the early 20th century. He was at his peak as a player from 1904 to 1908 but was still competitive as late as 1914. He was killed in 1915 during World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Mawson</span> English architect

William Mawson was an English architect best known for his work in and around Bradford.

MV <i>Yorkshire Belle</i> (1947)

The MV Yorkshire Belle is a pleasure cruiser based in Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. She was built by Cook, Welton & Gemmell as a replacement for the original Yorkshire Belle, that was lost in the Humber estuary during the Second World War after hitting a magnetic mine, sinking with all hands.

Benjamin Burstall was a sculptor, architectural sculptor and stone carver, based in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Tramway Company, Scarborough</span>

The Central Tramway Company is an electric-powered funicular railway located in the holiday resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. The company has the distinction of being the oldest surviving Tramway Company in the UK, as the original corporation still operates the funicular today. Built in just 6 months between January and August 1881, the Tramway opened on Monday 1 August becoming the 3rd such cliff railway to operate in the borough.

References

  1. "ARTIST INTERVIEW: Adrian Riley". Behind The Artist.
  2. Harrison, Kate (July 27, 2022). "WALK THIS WAY – ARTIST INTERVIEW ADRIAN RILEY".
  3. "Leeds Arts University Homepage | Leeds Arts University". www.leeds-art.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  4. "Atom Studios". Bradford Online.
  5. "English Heritage Home Page". English Heritage. 2014-11-06. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  6. "Bssiness Awards - Electric Angel Design". York Press. 29 July 2010.
  7. "Scarborough's revival marked by top award". www.ft.com.
  8. "Scarborough named most enterprising town in Europe". The Northern Echo. May 14, 2009.
  9. "Scarborough's new look draws praise". York Press. May 15, 2009.
  10. "Designer Adrian honoured by PM". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. June 24, 2009.
  11. "The bulletin". February 8, 2024 via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  12. "BBC Radio 4 - Best of Today, What makes a British beach special?". 27 June 2022.
  13. "Mixcloud". www.mixcloud.com.
  14. https://www.itv.com/watch/news/balancing-act-simon-armitages-latest-poem-honours-yorkshire-beauty-spot/n28335d/
  15. Audsley, Natasha (22 June 2023). "'Mythical or pieces of an alien landscape'- Yorkshire's Simon Armitage poem carved into stone at Brimham Rocks". Harrogate Advertiser. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  16. Times, Lancashire. "A Locally Inspired, Illuminated Trail In An Illuminated Town!". Lancashire Times.
  17. "Historic heart of Grimsby re-opened to public after £1.8m makeover". Grimsby Live. May 28, 2021 via www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk.
  18. "St James' Square".
  19. "North East Lincolnshire Council seeks expert to develop public spaces". September 30, 2022 via www.bbc.co.uk.
  20. "Walls Have Ears". May 17, 2021.
  21. "Adrian's artwork breathes new life into Dewsbury bus station".
  22. "Art on the cliff tops - Bempton Cliffs - Bempton Cliffs - The RSPB Community". community.rspb.org.uk. 31 March 2017.
  23. "Chapter House & Windows – St. Peter's, Wearmouth".
  24. Henderson, Tony (April 11, 2017). "Stained glass goes full circle as St Peter's restoration project completed". Chronicle Live.
  25. URL=https://www.jeffchristie.com/facts.html
  26. "Feathership". norfolkwayarttrail.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  27. "Feathership". norfolkwayarttrail.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-02-13.