Are you a big Fan of “Yellowstone”? If so, keep a lookout for a David Frederick Riley piece in the background of some of the scenes in season five. And this might not be the last time you see a piece of his on the acclaimed TV show or its spin-offs.
The entire process started about six months ago, when Riley got a call from Montana Trails Gallery in Bozeman, Montana, one of the galleries that carries his work. “The [Yellowstone crew members] were shooting around Bozeman,” Riley says. “They went to Montana Trails Gallery, and that’s where they saw my work. The gallery called me and asked if there would be a possibility for them to get some prints of my work to have in the backgrounds of some of the shot and, of course, that was fine with me.”
Calling in the Season, David Frederick Riley
Riley worked with the gallery to provide a few existing prints to the production crew and to get a few new prints made of originals in the gallery. “They were very forthcoming, signed an agreement, and so it was all very above-board, and that part was really smooth, and they’re great to work with as far as that goes,” he says.
The show purchased the prints, so they are theirs to do with what they want. “I’m not sure what they do with them afterwards and, so far, I’ve just seen the one,” Riley says.
That piece, Calling in the Season, depicts a group of elk in black and white and appears in the background in episode nine of season five. Since multiple prints were sold to the show’s producers, there is a possibility that more of Riley’s pieces might appear on set in the future, which is fine by the artist.
Asked if he would allow his work to appear in other shows and movies if approached, Riley says, “Why not? I’m a big fan of television and movies and just film in general. It’s pretty neat to have your work in the background of a scene.”
