Photo caption: Tarpley’s work displays the inspiration she draws from her travels and other local artists. Artwork by Reins TarpleySarah Faulkner - Student Media Creative Directorsfaulkn2@uab.edu
From Cambodia to China, Reins Tarpley, a sophomore art studio major, finds inspiration in the art and architecture she sees while backpacking through Southeast and Far East Asia. Drawing on the stylistic traditions of Balinese sculptors and Japanese woodblock printers, Tarpley combines heavily inked lines with pops of vivid red to create minimalist, contemporary takes on classically Asian imagery. Her art reveals aesthetic roots not only in modern age manga and tattoo art, but also in age-old eastern design traditions.
How did you get started in art?
Growing up, I always opted to take art classes as my elective, but I didn’t think seriously about pursuing art until I was selecting a major at UAB. I think what made me want to reconnect with art was a combination of travel and meeting people in the local art scene of Birmingham.
Which mediums did you use?
I started out initially interested in pen and ink mediums, but at first I didn’t know anything about the different types of paper you can buy, so I would use sharpies on drawing paper and it would look horrible, and the lines would be incredibly blurry from all of the bleeding ink. But I have some amazing friends who have helped me learn what to buy and how to use certain tools. So my lines have cleaned up since it first started, and that’s still something I try to work on all of the time.
Where do you see your art going in the future?
I plan to take my art to a larger scale and also branch out to other mediums, specifically watercolor.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I’m inspired by a lot of old Japanese woodblock prints, so I spend a lot of time looking at works by Ukiyo-e masters like Kyosai and Hokusai. I am also heavily inspired by a lot of tattoo artists, mostly those who specialize in a Japanese Irezumi style. Most of these artists directly reference the Ukiyo-e masters as well.
Who are your local inspirations?
As far as local artists go, I’m really interested in the work of Vincent Rizzo, Anna Zoladz, Amy Vaughn, Sara Roberson, Devon McFarland and Neil Jackson. I share a common interest in Asian art with a lot of those people, as well as a common goal of cleanliness in our work.
How has your travel experience influenced your art?
Traveling in Thailand and Cambodia and visiting all kinds of Buddhist temples has definitely influenced my attention to detail. I have so much respect for the time and energy that was spent on constructing thousands of Buddhist pagodas and temples in Southeast Asia. Most of the architecture is so crusted in gold that you can’t look straight at it during the daytime. I also admire how everything means something in Asian art. All of the imagery is symbolic, down to the patterns on clothing. Stylistically its made me strive to pay more attention to small details.
Recently, Tarpley showed and sold prints at the Fourteen76 art showcase at Desert Island Supply Co. alongside other student artists. Her Ukiyo-e inspired digital art will be included in AURA Literary Arts Review’s upcoming fall issue.
