Laminator Vol. 1

Artists on the Lam is thrilled to announce the launch of our inaugural zine, Laminator! This new publication features work by 68 artists, poets, and writers from all over Chicago, the country, and the world. This is a labor of love.

A sneak peek at some of the artwork and poetry inside:

In an ever increasingly digital world, we often find ourselves seeking ways to unplug, searching for the tangible, the analog, something tactile and physical we can touch and hold with our own hands, something to keep and cherish as a memento, as ephemera, something to lose, something to find, something to give and share with a loved one like a secret.

Don’t get us wrong—we’re all about the digital realm too; after all, Artists on the Lam started out as a blog back in 2011 (and it’s still going strong!), and during this ongoing pandemic we pivoted to virtual exhibitions (such as SLAYSIAN in 2020, DECAHEDRON in 2021, HYGGE in 2023, and a mini show accompanying this very zine—see below). And, of course, you’re reading this online.

But this project has been a long time coming; Laminator is the brainchild of Chicago-based artist, indie curator, writer, and Artists on the Lam founder Jenny Lam, who has been keeping snail mail—and the USPS—alive for the past 15 years with her beloved postcard project Dreams of a City, and who was probably the only young person in the world who didn’t get a smartphone until 2014 (and then stubbornly used that same old phone for 7 years).

And, much like the soothing sounds of a pencil scratching on paper, there’s just something about the feel of flipping through the pages of a good book.

In this volume, enjoy poetry, prose, and art across all media and forms—including illustration, painting, photography, collage, textiles, and more—by:

Ami Moregore, Ami Watanabe, Angela Townsend, Annie Govekar, Audrey Clarendon, Buuchau Chau, Chantal Danyluk, Charlene Moy, Christine Lozano, Claire Cai, Constance Volk, Cynthia J. Lee, Dana Albalushi, Darcie Denton, Darinka VZ, Emily Andrews, Emily Thornton Calvo, Fei Ewald, Fernanda Morales Tovar, Gabe Drueke, George Peterson, Gloria Tang Yuze, Hayden Minor, InsomniaBird (Susie Xiong), Jamiece Adams, Jasmine Marie, Jessica Smit Mattingly, Jonathan Espinoza-Perez, Josepha Natzke, Julia Graczyk, Kathy Halper, Keelan McMorrow, Kelly Eden, Klinta Kalneja, Kurt Kreissl, Laura Cantor, Laura Catherwood, Laura Rodriguez, Lillian Prichard, Maddie Hinrichs, Maham Ali, Marcia Biasiello, Marie Magnetic, Mark Banks, Mary Kate Fahrenbach Venturini, Meri Kukkavaara, Nalendra Ezra a.k.a Ejura, Nancy Bechtol, Olukorede Ojelade, Oscar Eduardo de Paz, Patrick Earl Hammie, Pedro Patti, Renata Hernández, Renee McGinnis, Richard Gessert, Sarah Lorentz, Seth King, Shannon Sphar, Sneha Paul, Sophia Croasdale, Stafford Hiroshi Smith, Taryn Okesson, Tiffany Gholar, Vaishnavi Sivaprasad, Wendy Wahman, Win Wallace, Yulin Yuan, and Zee Tan Zhi Wang.

Created and edited by Jenny Lam

Printed in the USA by Mixam

108 pages, 5.8 x 8.3 inches, full color pages on 80 lb. satin paper, 100 lb. gloss covers with gloss lamination, perfect bound

Watch a quick flip-through here.

(Also available in person at Buddy inside the Chicago Cultural Center while supplies last!)

While you wait for the zine to arrive in your mailbox (thank you so much for your patience!), you can browse Laminator Vol. 1’s accompanying online exhibition! A few of the artists featured in the zine have art that’s available for purchase; this includes the originals of their pieces in the publication, as well as bonus pieces. Click on each artist to enjoy their art and their words: