For over 40 years the talent of Lenny Rumpler has been a well kept secret known only to family and friends. Though his work is more publicly visible these days, it is with dedication to his craft that the work continues to surprise.
In 1941, his parents gave him his first camera, and he has continued to this day with the love of photography. He had his first darkroom in the late 1950's and worked exclusively in black and white for about 20 years. During this time, though totally self-taught, Lenny started to study some of the great photographers.
Sometime in the early 1970's, he tried printing traditional color photographs in his darkroom, but after a lot of hard work, he was disappointed to learn that the colors faded over time.
Though much has changed technically in his process, his vision and the spirit of his work remains true to its origins. His highly developed eye and wealth of experience places him in the company of a small group of similar talents, yet Lenny would claim to be still a student of photography in some ways. This is evident in his constant experimentation and rethinking of his approach to both medium and subject; ever searching. In the literal sense Lenny has been a student in recent years too, completing a Master Class in Printing with John Paul Caponigro at the Maine Photographic Workshops in 2003. He is a member of the Providence Art Club, Imago Gallery, the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative, and the Portsmouth Arts Guild.
Lenny Rumpler is a native Rhode Islander and has lived in Barrington, RI with his family since 1963.