Its Not A Trick
August 21st, 2010
Free Sketching Session
7-9pm
Musical Performance by Future!
Hip-Hop, Progressive Rock, Psykédélique Soul
9pm Sharp
Also DJ Cabezon on the turntables
from the Moliendo Radio Show
6pm
German-based stencilist, LECKOmio debuts his US first solo show, Its Not a
Trick. His exhibition looks at the relationship of street art within its
subcultural milieu. With all its complexities and shrouds of mystery, LECKOmio
composes a new series; tying in the culture of people who align themselves with
the lifestyle, in juxtaposition with the urban icons consistently associated
with the studio, and the street. The title he has chosen for this series
addresses the mechanization of his technique; LECKOmio states that when an
audience typically sees stencil work they usually have some difficulty
understanding its execution, but with Its Not a Trick, he wants to present that
stencil work is simply a technique, and like everything else requires
“creativity, preparation, patience, and accuracy” to master. His latest backyard
and graffiti paintings, aptly titled Graffparcs, are inspired by finding beauty
in the decay of urban structures. He states that graffiti, “both good and bad
quality, helps keep those ruins alive, that they still have charm and sense, and
when you can read the work they become guestbooks of the individual city where
local writers have left their signatures.” The other facet of his series,
LECKOmio’s monuments, signify his need to reconnect graffiti and stencil art,
while tying in the essential spray cap iconography--the main tool of urban
artists at large, with improvements spanning “30 different ventiles.” Multiple
caps with multitudes of purposes, but for single-use only and are typically
tossed away upon completion of a work, an aspect that LECKOmio states points to
the thought of “watching things closely before you throw them away.”
Saturday, August 21st, from 6pm – Midnight Artwork above are Multilayer Stencils with Spraypaint
Born in Lörrach, Germany, LECKOmio grew up in a household where painting was
a daily activity, and was exposed to much creativity from an early age. Painting
comics and characters had always been one of his favourite hobbies as a kid and
with the help of a school friend, he was introduced to graffiti. Following that
small introduction, LECKOmio was hooked and they started sketching together;
sneaking out at night to paint the neighbourhood walls. After several run-ins
with the law, he took a break from painting outside and concentrated on school,
which led him to a future of business management. However, as a burgeoning
artist, he was not satisfied. LECKOmio continued sketching and painting, and in
2002 began experimenting with stencils, though completely unaware of the
well-established stencil movement in street art outside of his own developments.
His work has been entirely self-taught, with trial and error being his greatest
mentor. Following his move from home to studio, and finally quitting his job in
management, LECKOmio has taken off with his art, cultivating his personal style,
developing innovative stenciling techniques like transparency, and exhibiting
work in galleries all over the world (U.S., Middle East, Australia, and all over
Europe). From small beginnings in regional art clubs in Germany, to recent
successes in huge international exhbitions, he has spent most of his artistic
career working alongside the world's top graffiti artists, to include his chief
creative influence and personal friend, the late, Sigi von Koeding, aka DARE.
Drawing from his years of artistic experimentation, and influence from his
colleagues, LECKOmio’s talent is profound. He takes a very simplistic approach
to such a broad genre, turning objects that are so overlooked into a complex
series of physics, urban attitude, fine art, and creates a “universe of colors
on one square centimeter.”

Sketching Session
with live model 7-9pm
Musical Performance starts at
9pm
Complimentary Snacks and Special Show Cocktail
Brought to
you by our friends at Mie N Yu Restaurant
Location: Art Whino
Gallery
173 Waterfront St.
National Harbor, MD 20745
Show end date:
September 15th
The sketching session begins at 7pm and ends at 9pm and is
free. We will have 15 special edition blank sketchbooks for sale at the show as
well but you are welcome to bring your own sketchbook.
The event is FREE
and open to the public.




Artist Bio








