MEET THE ARTISTS:
Michael Leon
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP: Florida and North Carolina.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST BECOME INTERESTED IN ART AND DESIGN: I always was. I can't remember when it started. In the South, county fairs are where you go to see art. I would always get blue ribbons and that kinda encouraged me to keep going with the crayons.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU: These days I'm not so much into content as I used to be. I'm getting inspired more by form, color and materials. The hands-on craft of things and 'what happens when?' experimentation. I think that's why in the last few years I only used these empty symbols like skulls, butterflies and smiley faces because I don't really care to 'say something', I just like repeating the forms and enjoying the happy accidents.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE PROJECT THAT YOU’VE WORKED ON: My favorite is directing for film/videos and working with friends. The videos we used to make for Stacks or something like the Liberty/Levi's video i did with Gabe Morford and Dan Wolfe. Those are fun to put together.
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE HISTORICAL FIGURE: CR Stecyk III.
WHAT SONG GETS STUCK IN YOUR HEAD MOST OFTEN: “I'm Not Your Toy” by La Roux, accompanied by some kind of seated break-dancing.
WHAT IS YOUR SPIRIT ANIMAL: I have to say Saluki because I have two of them and we both like to run and sleep.
IF YOU COULD ONLY EAT ONE FOOD FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE: Avocados or bananas. Tough choice.
WHAT IS THE ONE ITEM OF CLOTHING THAT YOU WEAR MOST OFTEN: I wear the same 501's every day.
WHAT WOULD THE TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY BE: “Oops!'” The Michael Leon Story, with forward by CR Stecyk III
WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING YOU'VE EVER DONE: Mentally...I can't think of anything that's not too personal. Physically...I rode a stage of the Tour De France in the Pyrenees. That was brutal.
WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED SO HARD IT HURT: Yesterday. We laugh a lot around here.
WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TALENT: Maxing out a credit card?
WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO DANCE MOVE: It's kinda like a jig more than a dance. Like a Mr. Bojangles type of thing. I'll show you.
WHAT IS THE STRANGEST THING IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR: Meat. We don't eat it but we don't want to make our dogs vegetarian so it's like all vegetables and one tub of boiled chicken parts mixed with rice and cottage cheese. It's disgusting.
