LCA enters silver anniversary year: the respected British publishing company and longtime Artexpo exhibitor joins the show in celebration of 25 years of successful business

Art Business News, Dec, 2002 by Kathleen Sullivan

London Contemporary Art got its start almost 25 years ago at the direction of Anthony Stancomb. Stancomb was creating art programs for the British Broadcasting Company in the 1970s when he and his wife, then an art gallery owner, recognized a business opportunity. "There was an unfulfilled market in America that needed supply," he said.

London Contemporary Art, born in the Chelsea section of London, publishes and distributes the work of world-renowned artists directly to galleries and art dealers. Published mediums include, but are not limited to, serigraphs, lithographs, monoprints and various etchings. Since its launch, the company has expanded with an in-house printing studio and sales office in Jacksonville, Fla., to keep pace with the increasing demands of its customers.

Stancomb describes his success as a collective result of his diligence and the demands of an ever-changing art world. His innate passion for art, and its use in a time of increased sophistication in American culture, resulted in a strong demand for quality artwork. "There has been a huge sophistication of America over the last 25 years. Andy Warhol made art fashionable, and his celebrity reached a broad audience," he said. Warhol, one of the most recognizable artists of the 20th century, used Pop Art to transcend the traditionally elitist world of art.

A new sector of the art market emerged among the working class. Mass exposure and general education opened the door to this new audience. Interest peaked among the American culture, and Stancomb was positioned to supply the new market. "You have to cut your way through the jungle," Stancomb said, explaining his success in capitalizing on the opportunity. "You have to always be looking: always be open to new ideas, always be open to new perspectives. The art market is always getting better," he said. Stancomb believes the market will continue to grow as long as customers continue to explore art and refine their tastes. "The more one looks, the more one finds," he said.

London Contemporary Art's search for new artists to represent is a tireless and never-ending task. With his customers' expectations first in his mind, Stancomb looks at an innumerable amount of art in various styles and media on a daily basis. Among the many artists represented by London Contemporary Art is Roy Fairchild-Woodard, an internationally recognized artist whose work is reflective of London Contemporary Art's belief in change and evolution. Fairchild-Woodard has been painting for years and most recently completed a series of sculptures and his first hand-chiseled plaque. Other artists representative of London Contemporary Art's range include David Dodsworth, Gary Benfield and Chen Bolan.

Stancomb appreciates the variety of his customers' tastes and is constantly looking for art to accommodate it. "You have to embrace change, discover new artists," he said.

Though Stancomb has yet to make formal plans to celebrate the silver anniversary of London Contemporary Art, he is sure they will. "Perhaps we shall have a grand party."