Frank Lepkowski (b. 1992) explores the role of modern technology in society through both his subject matter and his artistic process. Lepkowski builds web applications that rely on human touch as their primary form of interaction, then combines these digital tools with printing and embroidery to create maximalist, multi-layered compositions that reflect the noise of the digital age. Lepkowski is based in Detroit, Michigan.
Lepkowski was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit. As a kid he experimented in Photoshop by following online tutorials and made his own animations and games in Flash, absorbing a DIY internet culture of forum signatures, WinAmp skins, and MySpace profiles. He earned a BA from Oakland University in 2014 and later became a special lecturer in its Department of Art and Art History, also working as a UX designer in web development, automotive, and gaming applications. Lepkowski's figurative works typically begin as a lo-fi collage of images screenshotted from his own social media feed, which he redraws in Illustrator using a restricted 256-color web-safe palette and gradient brushstrokes that build up a layered, overlapping effect. Lepkowski began adding computerized embroidery, worked on a Brother SE625 machine he runs himself rather than outsourcing, after his earlier iron-on transfer pieces started to feel flat. He treats canvas more like a textile than a painting surface.
