F. Lennox Campello Compiles List of 100 D.C. Artists, but Where’s Mingering Mike?
F. Lennox Campello—D.C. artist, art critic, and keeper of an indispensable art-news blog—is working on a book tentatively titled 100 Washington Artists that will be published in 2011 by Schiffer Books. Over the weekend, he revealed which artists made the cut.
Lists! Always somewhat arbitrary! Always fun to debate! And this one—which features artists veteran and relatively young, from within the gallery scene and outside it—is no exception. We'll have some commentary from our critics this week—well, maybe not from Jeffry Cudlin, seeing as he's on Campello's list.
I'm not sure I have observations yet, save this one, which I probably share with Jason Cherkis: Where's Mingering Mike?
11:47 am
What about Sam Gilliam?
7:17 pm
Sam Gilliam and Jim Sanborn both declined being in the book. And I couldn't get a hold of Yuriko Yamaguchi despite calls, emails and snail mail.
7:19 pm
Awwww... C'mon! no fair! I want Cudlin to comment! DC is waaaaay too small to exclude someone as opinionated as the Cudlinmiester!
7:29 am
There's a lot of talent in this town and I hear rumors of a 2nd edition... "Another 100 DC artists" or something like that... so I remain hopeful. In the meantime I'll keep creating.
8:49 am
This is a good start!
11:26 am
Perhaps for a next edition: Rebecca Kamen (Va.), Steve Adams (he lives in McLean, Va.), Judith Olivia HeartSong (her studio's at VisArts in Rockville, MD), Neibur Arrellano (Maryland resident; nebiurart.com), Claudia Olivios (Va.), Jeanne Drevas (Va.).
1:56 pm
Great list. Hats off to Lenny for undertaking this huge project. If you don't like his list, make your own book, with your own list! punk rock! :)
2:22 pm
Lenny is a brave man! I would have a very different list, but then I'd have to leave town.
2:32 pm
I'm actually in hiding somewhere in California (or is this Rockville?).
And there's a second, and possibly third volume in the tentative works... keep adding names!
6:18 pm
I wonder how willing artists will be to label themselves as 2nd or 3rd tier artists. The first volume seems to be positioning itself as the 100 (103, really) best artists in DC. Will artists really want to position themselves below the first 100 or 200? It's clear the quality of artist and artwork will decline significantly after this volume.
There are some artists in this list who are pretty bad. Will artists position themselves underneath such bad work?
In my opinion, Kevin Kepple is the biggest omission. Ryan Hackett (winner of the Sondheim) would be up there as well.
4:54 pm
I think another book or two is welcome and does not reflect a tier system of best, better, good. 100 Washington Artists suggests a selection of high quality work of which 100 is an arbitrary number. There are many more artists of high quality and professionalism in Washington, DC who can be highlighted in 100 Washington Artists, Volume 2 or 3. Bring it on Lenny!
5:28 pm
Anne,
From Lenny's Pinkline interview:
"...my goal was to have the 'art stars' as well as emerging artists, who would be my best recommendation for future stardom (as much as that word can be used around the capital region) plus a number of artists 'in between' whose work I felt deserved attention. This was all me so far and I had about 60 names."
So this indicates Lenny had the 60 "best" artists he could think of. 40 more were added. While the title of the book suggests it's an arbitrary selection of 100 artists, we know that's not the case. Unless the next book comes out 20+ years from now, the first volume will most definitely be better than later versions.
Lenny had to pitch the idea with the best possible artists in order to get the first book. The interest in a second book is great, but it won't be as good.
The ideal scenario would have been to confirm the number of volumes to be published. Let's assume 3. Then, develop a list of 300 of the best D.C. artists. Alphabetize the artists and take the first 100 for volume 1, the next 100 for volume 2 and so forth. Then there would be no tiers, no assigning of importance, across volumes.
While there are certainly some great overlooked artists who weren't in Volume 1, there were dozens, if not hundreds, who were determined to be inappropriate for the book. Why?
Lenny states:
"I started with the best-known names as gimmies (such as Gilliam, Christenberry, Tate, Chao, Sanborn, Rose, Sandberg, Coble, etc.)"
Why weren't half of these artists held back for Volume 2?
1:18 pm
Observer,
I take your point that Lenny has selected the artists whom he considers in the top 100. He's drawn a line at 100 which is an arbitrary number in light of the number of high quality artist who create in the city. The caveat...he says "whose work I felt deserved attention." You could put this task of selection to another curator who would come up with an entirely different selection of names as to who deserves attention. Some of the "art stars" aren't in the first volume and "may" end up in the second as Lenny states. Will that make them inferior if they are in the second? I don't think future readers are going to dub the 2nd and 3rd editions as lesser quality if they are given the same attention to detail as the first. At least I hope not. I am not privy to forewords or any other text in the volumes and this could be a way to add professional commentary to each volume to make it unique. Who knows, in some years an artist in volume 3 may be showing in a Whitney Biennial.
From a practical point of view having three volumes of high quality representation of artistic excellence for the district is a bonus for the arts in DC. How that works from a marketing perspective, I'm not clear. I agree that confirming the number of volumes to be published would be a good idea. Is this book about who is the best and biggest or is about promoting Washington, DC as an arts mecca with exciting and promising artists, established and emerging?
I would like to see the books titled with the same name and in volumes rather than, "Another 100 Artists" which could imply what you are suggesting.
1:52 pm
Anne,
Thanks for participating in this discussion. I haven't seen it take place anywhere else.
"You could put this task of selection to another curator who would come up with an entirely different selection of names as to who deserves attention."
I very seriously doubt it would be "entirely" different. Every list of 100 would include Tate, Coble, Christenberry, Rose, etc. If it didn't, I would question the list-maker. If the first book wasn't about the best, then it wouldn't include all of the best. I think Kepple is the biggest oversight, but he would not slot into the top 50 or so of volume 1.
"Some of the 'art stars' aren’t in the first volume and 'may' end up in the second as Lenny states."
That's because they declined the offer to participate. They were asked.
While there are some awful artists in volume 1, would you rather have your work alongside Robin Rose or some of the suggested names above? It's a no-brainer to me.
11:17 pm
Observer,
In his interview, Lenny says that the first book will be missing artists that he and others consider equally important as the ones he selected. He says, the "Tentative title is "Another 100 Washington Artists" which I think works better since I don't consider that by the time the list is done, that there will be "lesser" artists in the book. Already the list has begun, as people have been suggesting and discussing names that are missing from the first list and should have been there according to them."
Lenny seems to be open to suggestions about the artists to include.
We all know who the "art stars" are and we want them in the book(s) to represent the best of Washington, DC. The subjective part is about the artists who are not so well known to be called “art stars”. Their work is quality work which also represents the best of Washington, DC. This is where it gets tricky because many curators would differ in their selections. If we take the “art stars” to be a given and grant them their glory, how to go about selecting more artists? Lenny admits that “it is impossible to put a list of 100 DC area artists objectively.” And he openly admits it. He was “familiar with all 100's artwork” and selected from that criteria as well suggestions from a few “DC-based art collectors, a few DC art gallerists, a few curators and a couple of art critics.”
I think he went about it in a logical way with his expertise as a gallerist and curator as well as using his instincts in his selections. I’m sure his list is long, now that more folks have weighed in.
In answer to your question, "would you rather have your work alongside Robin Rose or some of the suggested names above?"
Metaphorically speaking, while it would be nice to be invited to the party and seated at the “art stars” table, (some of whom we know and are great people), it's not a prerequisite for me going to the party. I love them (the art stars) and I would find value in going to the party, whether my name was placed next to theirs or not. Those in Book Volume 2 or 3 could be the new “art stars” in 15 years and you’ll have a totally different dynamic for readers. From my understanding, these books stay around for quite some time and the artists in them will have plenty of time to implement their creative endeavors for the world to see.
From a marketing perspective, Lenny has jumped on a great opportunity to promote artists and to document the artistic landscape of the Greater DC area. It’s a notch in national visibility for the Washington, DC art scene. It presents marketing opportunities for the artists and gallerists. If the books are marketed well, they can result in new connections, conversations and insights into the DC artscene.
For those who haven’t read the interview: The DC Top 100, v1.0: an interview with Lenny Campello by John Anderson http://pinklineproject.com/article/dc-top-100-v10-interview-lenny-campello
9:27 am
Anne,
We will agree to disagree. I admire your optimism about this and it's clear you would be thrilled to be invited to the party regardless of it includes 10 people or 1000. Unfortunately I just don't share it.
I'm curious why Sam and Jim would decline to be in the book. I have my guesses but they are pessimistic as well.
12:00 pm
Observer,
Thank you for your generosity of words. All the forces you describe; curiosity, optimism and pessimism, help make the creative mind. It's a paradox that they can be held in mind at the same time. It's part of what makes us artists. I'll bet that they are all surging thru Lenny Campello as he meets the challenge of producing the book.
5:43 pm
If Vermeer's "Girl with a pearl earring" can become a book and a movie, will Lenny's List become a movie and a mural?
I think DC needs a Mt Rushmore of artists...and a mural of 100 artists would be a nice start - and a good addition to all our other statues and memorials. We have plenty of generals on horses around town. How about something to immortalize artists too?
8:51 pm
how about Tom Green, Bill Willis, Bill Hill, Ryan Hackett, Kurt Godwin, Richard Vosseller, Mimi (Mary) Frank, Ladelle Moe, Evan Reed--need more?
11:30 am
Thanks Anne and observer, good points on both sides...my approach is that Lenny is not compiling a list of sashimi chefs. No illness would result from a few human errors in a documentation of 100 artists and their creative output in DC at this point in time...If there will be three or four volumes perhaps spread out over 10 years, my hope would be that the number of artists documented to do substantial work here in DC would have a more effective presence than the list of the first 100 as a top 10 plus more or whatever.
Lenny, more power to you for your intrepid efforts!!! DC needs you!
Fear no art,
Sabine Carlson, DC artist from College Park
4:09 pm
It's just a list - and I doubt being on the list/not on the list will make any difference in any of these artists' careers. My dear friend Iona has moved to NYC as of a few weeks ago. Mary Coble is moving to Denmark very soon. Cynthia Connolly should be on anyone's list, but she keeps a low profile. And so on. I don't find it a terribly important list, although I do sympathize with those who find themselves not on the list.
5:35 pm
But it's not just a list, it is a book. A book with a marketing plan. A book that will have authority. I doubt it will be marketed as "an arbitrary selection of 100 artists from Washington, D.C." That's not going to sell a lot of books. I think these 100 artists are going to be given significance in the marketing both by the publisher and as already seen by Lenny. Some artists - specifically the worst one in the list - have already been using the list for publicity.
If it's just a list on Lenny's blog like his top Artomatic selections, ok, wonderful. But it's more than that. Artists who find themselves invited to future volumes need to be aware of any ramifications.
8:48 pm
Well, it's not a book yet. Even so, its significance will be minimal - I promise you. I'd argue being on a blogger's Artomatic list would be more important than in their book.
I'm not sure what there is to be upset about. This is Lenny's list and he can name whomever he wants to. Even if he titles the book, "DC's 100 Best Artists" (I wonder why The Washingtonian hasn't published such a list?) it's still his opinion. If you're not on his list, I'd say get over it. If you want to look at it constructively, then examine your own marketing efforts. Consider that the artists who are on the list that you don't think belong are at least better at marketing themselves.
11:38 am
Richard,
I, for one, am not upset by the list. I am merely bringing up the tiered structure that this list puts into place. Initially the list started out as just Lenny's. Then, we learned that it's influenced by Mera Rubbell's selections last year (from a random selection of 36 artists, not the entire DC area artist population, mind you -- those artists had a roughly 50% chance of being "chosen"), other gallerists, collectors, and so on. When the book's introduction is written, will it be positioned as Lenny's list, or Lenny + others?
No matter whose list it is, it still represents a tiered ranking of artists, and it didn't have to be this way. I think it was an oversight. But, again, I'm not upset by this, just pointing it out to other artists. In my humble opinion, if you are in volume 2 you run the risk of saying you are not as good of an artist as those in volume 1. It's not a definitive consequence, but it is something to be mindful of.
I believe the book will be a great record of D.C. art today. Having 100 artists all together like that will allow people to see what D.C. has to offer for better or for worse.
7:54 pm
you all are very entertaining. the bottom line is... who is painting or creating art? who is selling? who is showing outside dc?
please 'bookmark' lenny's list or anybody's artomatic list.... check back 10 years later. who is still 'doing it'? :) a lot of the 'list haters' will be long gone doing some other thingy in 10 years!! the real artists will still be doing it. the hobbyist artists and wanna-be artists will be secluded in 'i used to be an artist' neighborhoods.
good luck everybody! be what you are. don't try to be me.
3:42 pm
Pretty harsh adjective Obs. saying that some of the artists on the list are "awful". Wouldn't any list compiled by anyone have some artists whose work would be considered awful by someone else? In a post-modernist world, is there such a thing? Or perhaps you just don't like their artwork?
Begs the question: which artists on this list are awful by your standards? I don't know the work of a some of them, but for the ones whose work I do know, I also see a reason why they'd be on the list. But if you listed the awful artists, it may start some interesting debate.
But, if I did my own list (no thank you), I'd have an 80-85% agreement with Lenny's list and differ by some 15 other names, and some people might find my list containing some "awful artists".
Just saying. It's pretty much an impossible task to "list" to everyone's like-ability.
Personally, to answer the original question of this post, I would have the Dumbacher Bros. on this list.
6:15 pm
Lifeunit,
Like any group show, there are some works that don't stand up. And there's no way all the works would be great. Same could be said for artists. But when narrowing down the thousands of DC artists to a list of the "best" 100, I would think the list would be solid. The only question would be who was omitted that should have not been (or at least a case could be made).
I have reviewed the list many times. There are several artists who might not make my top 500 or so list, but the more I look at it the more I am able to talk myself into the names as part of a somewhat flawed list. However, there is one name that is a complete embarrassment to the list. I won't name him/her, but the work is a bad, bad imitation of perhaps the greatest US artist of the 20th century. There is nothing remotely new to be gleaned from this "style" of work. It hangs on the back of a truly great and innovative artist, and it offends me as an artist. To see this person recognized over some important artists in DC is a travesty.
7:35 pm
Observer. I love your sense of logic. Seriously.
7:40 pm
And if I may add a point, what if someone received previous financial compensation (as an art dealer or otherwise)for representing some of these artists at art fairs, etc? Perhaps the very top artists opted out since they did not wish to "muddy the waters" as to whom represented them "offically" and whom did not. Just my guess.
8:31 pm
Observerina,
As Lenny stated in his interview, the water is very, very muddy with this list. He admitted that upfront.
11:02 pm
Observer: Good points. And after I read your post I started looking at the work by some of the artists whose art I didn't know and I think that I found the one that gets under your skin and I see your issue. I also found some whose work wow'd me and some that I didn't like.
Observerina: I don't get your point? Who someone? And most of the top artists are in the list except for two who opted out for unknown reasons. And the artists are represented "officially" by their art dealers/galleries regardless of this book. Did you read Lenny's interview in the Pink Line Project? As Observer says, he clearly was up front about the muddyness of the list and about nepotism and all the other factors that would muddy anyone doing a list like this.
8:54 am
Is there some recognition in the book of which artists Campello either has been a dealer for or who he is currently financially entangled with? I know of at least one artist on this list that he pushes on his blog that he has some sort of relationship with.
I know things are "muddy" or whatever, and I know that Campello's history in this regard is itself not great, but I would hope a reader would be alerted when he's pumping up his own bank account.
12:36 pm
asdf,
"and I know that Campello’s history in this regard is itself not great" - that a pretty big anon. flamer... what does that mean? what are the specifics?
i don't get the "pumping his own bank account" comment either - it is his book, right?
11:27 pm
Hey y'all just gave me a great idea for a play
I think I'll call it "Much Ado About Nothing"
thanks everybody!
1:10 am
Relationships develop. A good dealer helps promote the careers of artists whom he or she is invested. However, I don’t agree with the anon. suggestion that Lenny has cooked up a scheme to promote "his" artists by publishing a book. Lenny is someone who has been working for a long time to promote the arts in the DC area and to help lots of artists advance their careers. I presume that artists represented in the past by Lenny would in effect be considered good artists by him and be in the book. Anyone in that position, would include their top artists on the list. Read his interview again on his selection criteria. He continues to take suggestions from the art community for the second book. http://pinklineproject.com/article/dc-top-100-v10-interview-lenny-campello
I'd like to offer congratulations to the 100 artists who are in the first book, with a measure of success added to your artistic endeavors! I hope more people take on these kinds of marketing efforts.
Thanks Lenny¡
9:41 am
I agree with Anne.
I think it's obvious that if Lenny has some business relationship with an artist it's a de facto sign he likes their work. So I see no problem anyone being the list that's he's worked with in some way.
This is all so subjective I really don't see much point debating who is or isn't on the list. This isn't a list of the 100 most toxic ingredients in baby food or something.
3:27 pm
rasta,
I don't mean to answer for asdf, but there are plenty of stories around if you'll ask. I doubt anyone will share them on here though, anon or not. The stories run the risk of revealing the source.
My one issue is Lenny's "buy this artist now" recommendation on his blog. Personally, I would love to see it mentioned when he owns said artist's work. From what I know/hear, this happens quite often.
Like others have said, I think it's completely reasonable that Lenny would include artists who he has/had a relationship with. I hope there is some mention in the book of which artists are included in his personal collection.
1:14 am
this book will sell 100 copies... since the artists included will have to buy their own. i'm surprised lenny didn't put himself in the book as one of the artists....
10:51 am
Observer, bengalia:
You guys/gals don't make any sense. I don't know who Lenny has in his personal collection, but of course if he is recommending some artist in his own blog as "Buy Now" you'd expect him to put his money where his mouth is and also buy that artist's work ---- it's the other way around that would be odd ---- that makes sense to me and it is his blog. And what does the "buy now" list in his blog got to do with the book? This is quite a stretch and like Shakespeare wrote, much ado about nothing.
bengalia: I'm puzzled by the relevance of your surprise.
This guy did the work to put together this book - anyone of you could have attempted it and can still try to do it; he could have put 100 artists from the Torpedo Factory in the book and it would still be his opinion and his book.
Much ado about nothing going on here.
12:14 pm
Micka,
The "buy now" relates to asdf and rasta's brief conversation above. As you note, it's not directly related to the book, tangentially at best.
As for the "buy now" recommendation being logical, I guess it is a little like the chicken and the egg. Did he buy the work and then pump it? Or did he pump it and then buy it? There is a difference and it illustrates why people make dislosures to avoid conflict of interest or the potential appearance of conflict of interest. As Lenny's states, the waters are muddy. But the degree of muddiness is a choice to be made.
My question back to you is, what does the Torpedo Factory have to do with anything? Are you making a joke that those artists aren't good or don't belong in the list?
12:27 pm
It seems clear to me that Micka was using the Torpedo Factory as a hypothetical example. I see no reason to interpret that in a cynical way.
2:15 pm
Rogerrr,
Seems like a weird hypothetical example to feel is needed in this conversation. My apologies if I interpretted it incorrectly.
4:54 pm
I have read this thread and decided to read the pink line summary and his blog. I see a lot of contradictions that seem to go beyond simple promotion. In one, he says he was "retained" by the publisher which typically would mean he was contacted by the publisher first. In the Pinkline reports, he says he initiated the contact.
Lots more there also. Kind of like those photos where you look for the differences between the 2. Why so many contradictions over the basic story?
10:10 pm
Ob: About Torpedo Factory: sorry, I meant that as a general example. no slight intended. my apologies if it was interpreted that way.
Spawn: Just when I think that there's much ado about nothing you come up with something so insignificant that we're in the negative part of nothing now. Why are you trying so hard to find something bad in something so positive for the DC art scene? "Lots more there also" - another unsubstantiated flamer. Negative, negative, negative.
By the way, "retained" means "hired" or "contracted" not "contacted by the publisher first". Not that this makes an iota of difference.
9:01 am
Ever notice how if you re-arrange the letters in "Lenny" it actually spells "Lynne" ??? What IS Lenny hiding????
More ominously I noticed that "Campello" rhymes with "Othello" -- coincidence? I think not.
There is much mystery afoot.
6:24 pm
"Revealing the source"... I'll be goddammed! I know who the Observer (and his many puppet socket incarnations) is!
OMG! What is wrong with you sower of sour grapes, distrust, ambushes and flamers? Don't you have enough to do with your own stuff?
Interesting what one can find out with a little software tool that reveals what the poster's internet protocol address is.
Busted!
Here's a new question for the masses: can anyone guess who the Observer and some of his other aliases here is? I think some of you already know as well. Let's say that what could have been a perfectly civil and fun argument about what the initial topic of the post was (about debating the list) turns into a puppetsock display of negativity and unsubstantiated inuendos with anonynimous sources. Sounds familiar?
William: "By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes."
9:13 pm
Oh how sharper than a serpent's tooth is a jealous artist...
Marsha: pssssst I think it's "sockpuppet", not "puppetsock"
9:53 am
would this work as a metaphor to tap into the reservoirs of rage and keep the promotion going at the same time: which each book Lenny is putting up power poles and from the poles wires will go out and some will connect and some don't. But the main thing is, he has embarked on the task!and he has begun to map already quite a significant chunk of space. He'll outdo pepco by the time he's done, just wait and see.
11:40 pm
and how why not a book about Artomatic?
5:47 pm
Was just fondly reflecting on Artomatic. Also wanted to echo the thought that DC has such a rich art scene. Some say fragmented, but no matter. The more I travel, the more deeply I believe that DC rocks art-wise. Glad Lenny's book is bringing more attn to DC artists.
7:14 pm
I think the best follow up to 100 DC area artists would be a 100 Baltimore area artists book... there are a lot of Baltimore artists who show in the DC area and contribute to the DC area scene and vice versa.... A Baltimore area book would greatly fill out the overall picture of the arts scene in our area and would be a terrific follow up companion piece to this book...
9:34 pm
I left comments but have not seen them posted.
10:54 am
Is Schiffer Publishing a vanity press? I am skeptical that a publisher would be willing to finance a book with a limited market. Is this book financed through guaranteed pre-sales to, or contributions from, some of the artists in it?
5:10 pm
James: Why don't you send Lenny an email and ask him?
Spawn of Observerina: Be careful with the black flying helicopters above your house.
Sabine: Agree.
Greg: That's a good idea and you should tell Lenny.
Carol M. Dupre: Try posting them again
Marsha: If you have that illegal version of Carnivore, it is illegal to hack into the site's sysadmin and grab the IPs and email addresses. Just saying.
Lifeunit out; later DC.
7:44 pm
Marsha,
Could the sock puppet be a steamed suet pudding containing dried fruit (usually currants), commonly served with either custard or butter?
5:52 am
It is interesting that someone is trying to intimidate the free dialogue here by claiming (falsely) access to IP addresses through the Carnivore software (used one time by the FBI). I guess we know who owns that sockpuppet.