When Dust Becomes a Canvas: The Truck Art of Aaron Decicio

Pablo Picasso once said, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” For local artist Aaron Decicio, art actually springs up from that everyday dust. You’ve likely seen his work, whether it’s Iron Man on your morning commute, playful Minions when you're off to the grocery store, or Storm Troopers when you're picking up the kids from school. Detailed, crafted artwork - created from the dust and dirt on a semitruck.

“It’s different,” said Decicio, a longtime Valley resident. “Instead of adding to a canvas, I create my art by taking away from it.”

The detailed masterstrokes come courtesy of "Art Done Dirty," Decicio’s creative alias . With the permission of Excel Transport, he often heads their truck yard at the Port of Lewiston to pick out the perfect semi for his art. Today’s inspiration comes from wife Gabrielle, who’s been watching the recent Gordon Ramsey documentary, Being Gordon Ramsey. “She’s a fan.”

A lifelong artist, he stumbled upon this unique way of creating while driving trucks for a beverage company. He saw potential in the dust and mud on the trucks. He started with a Seahawks logo because he's a fan, then did a “deer slayer” design for a friend, and moved on to superheroes, celebrities, and anything else that struck a creative chord.

“The biggest challenge is, if you make a mistake, you can’t fix it,” he notes.

Decicio’s tools are humble - a couple paint brushes, a towel, and a reference photo on his cell phone - but the results are anything but. He's built quite a fanbase on social media and among local drivers who are blown away by his art. Decicio finds satisfaction in knowing his work, humble as the origins may be, is reaching a vast, mobile audience on the roadways.

“I’m just finding what’s already there, taking the bad spots covering the good,” he said. “It’s great that people enjoy it."

To see more of Decicio's work, check out his Tiktok, Facebook, and Instagram.