Lajuana Lampkins is an artist based in Chicago. She is a well-known figure who makes and sells her art in the Wicker Park neighborhood. Following is a review of a few hundred pieces of her work from 2018 to the present, detailing the format, materials, and subject matter.
It is a naturally incomplete look at her work, because it is limited by the pieces that I have personally seen and in most cases purchased. Having said that, my wife Shawn-Laree and I have been close collaborators and customers of Lampkins and we think this is a pretty wide take on her immense output during this time.
Format
Much of the work is on 8.5 × 11 in paper using markers, pen, and crayon. There are also lots of 9 × 12 cardstock, custom-cut posterboard, canvas paper, canvas boards, and cut black foamcore. White Sharpie paint pens and watercolor paint, along with glitter, stickers, and decals are also used in many pieces.
Reclaimed paper
Lampkins also uses lots of reclaimed material– advertising, in-store signage, pages from magazines, and calendar pages.
Street scenes
Events on the street are common topics of Lampkins’ work. People peeing in alleys, engaging in sex work, elderly people trucking through snow, people sitting on the porch, and other street scenes.
Commisions
During the pandemic, which made it more difficult to gather in person and sell art outside and in late-night bars and pizza spots, Lampkins shifted to creating custom commissioned pieces from existing photos posted on social media. Lampkins would create new art based on images from Facebook.
We also do more direct commissions, providing source images or general ideas and then Lampkins does her thing.
Current events
Lampkins is a keen observer of human nature and watcher of the news. Topics like how we coped with the pandemic, the vagaries of politics, celebrity trials, seasonal holidays, and other hot topics.
Love
Lots of Lampkins’ art has classic imagery associated with love– hearts, flowers, and expressions of devotion.
Abstractions
Lots of Lampkins’ work is direct representation of real-life scenes, but often she takes a more abstract approach.
