Introducing Parker Raley

Parker Raley is a 20-year-old visual arts student at ULL, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana. His work started at a young age, focusing on teaching himself digital art programs on his computer. His choice for digital work stemmed from a desire for clean, clear line work and punchy colors easily accessible through the medium. Now, in an attempt to break free from the neatness of the digital world, he is branching out into three-dimensional mediums, experimenting with materials like cardboard and clay. However, his love for illustration and drawing the human form will always keep him coming back to his computer. The heart of Parker’s art comes from his love for storytelling and overcoming the anxieties he faced as a child and those he still faces today. His work often features bright color combinations, cartoony visual elements, all tied in a bow of something a little scary. One of Parker's latest pieces Persistence was recently featured in ARCHIVES Exhibitions show, Root.

Who makes up your art circle?

My art circle consists of what I call my three rings: my inner ring, middle ring, and outer ring. The Inner ring is those closest to me, my friends, who help me funnel through all of my ideas and troubleshoot the many issues I tend to run into throughout my creative process. The middle ring holds the professors at my university, who continue to challenge the way I approach making art and change the way I view and interact with the world around me. Finally, my outer ring is my parents, who are only on the outer ring due to the fact that they are literally very far away from me. Without the emotional and financial support of my parents, I wouldn’t be able to create in the way I am now, and for that, I am forever grateful. Even further outside of the rings, though, exist my inspirations from other artists like Jamie Hewlett and Hirohiko Araki.

How do you expand your art circle?

My best advice for expanding your art circle is to reach out!! Never be afraid to contact other artists whose work you enjoy on socials or in person. Most of us are probably awkward and are also waiting for others to connect with us. Even your peers who may not be on the artistic side can help you fuel your creative fire and offer resources.

What value do you see in having a creative community?

Growing up, I kept my art to myself, not really sharing it with anyone or discussing it. Once I got to college, however, that all changed for the better. Being thrust into a world of critique and suddenly being surrounded by other aspiring artists was definitely a wake-up call for me. All of a sudden, I was no longer alone in my endeavors; there was a crowd of people around me working to help each other achieve their goals. The community I’ve found myself in, being in the arts program, is completely invaluable, and I hope I can keep some form of it alive after graduation.

How does your artistic approach contribute to your community?

I want other people to be able to hold and handle my work with their own hands. I’ve very recently become fascinated by ways in which I can have my art further developed and changed even after I’ve “finished” it. I’ve explored this with my Crosswordica series, small charcoal illustrations with crosswords superimposed on top of them. I, with the help of my friend Sam, posted these around campus and watched as people solved the puzzles and defaced them over the course of a couple of weeks. I hope the sight of my work in the wild can help us all remember it is never going to be that serious.