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Lauren Halsey participated in a solo artist event hosted at The Museum of Contemporary (MOCA) art in 2018. Halsey created a peaceful place to hang out in. She filled the space with interesting things such as spray cans, CDs, figurines,  incense, crystals, posters, and a fountain that to add to the peaceful environment (Chang). It also contained Afrocentric rugs, braids of hair, Black Panther rugs, and Ghanaian kente cloths (Slenske). The exhibit filled up an entire gallery. Originally, this project started in her grandmother’s backyard along with the aid of her friends and family (Slenske).

The title of this work “we still here, there” was inspired by a black-owned club, Jerry’s Flying Fox (Slenske). A sign hanging outside the establishment had the saying “we still here”. The sign stuck with Halsey because it was in defiance of the abandoned-looking state of the club (Chang). The “there” at the end of the phrase comes from the cities that are on the outskirts and are living in poverty. This interactive exhibit was in honor of South Central cultural artists. The erasure of South Central artist’s works inspired Halsey to create this installation.

References

CHANG, RICHARD. “‘Lauren Halsey: We Still Here, There’ at Museum of Contemporary Art.” Modern Painters, vol. 30, no. 3, Apr. 2018, pp. 132–133. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=128571422&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Slenske, Michael. "Lauren Halsey Brings the Funk to the L.A. Art Scene."ProQuest, Jun 10, 2019, https://libris.mtsac.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.libris.mtsac.edu/blogs-podcasts-websites/lauren-halsey-brings-funk-l-art-scene/docview/2237917150/se-2?accountid=12611.

MOCA Lauren Halsey: we still here, there • MOCA