Fertile Soil

Lauren Couch (artist name: Lola Rose Eros) first connected with Level Ground while working on the set of Framing Agnes, a forthcoming feature film from Level Ground Studios that stars an all-trans cast including Zackary Drucker, Angelica Ross, Jen Richards, and others.

Lauren Couch (he/they/she) is multifaceted full-time artist whose work combines visual art with dance, fashion and self-portrait.

Nothing can compare to the feeling of seeing a dream through to the moment that it becomes tangible in waking reality. As one of the curators of this year’s issue of SKEW magazine, the moment I finally got to hold the finished, printed product in my hands was exactly that: a dream come to fruition.

I discovered SKEW last December when I came across its first issue while working on the set of Framing Agnes, a Level Ground-produced feature film uncovering never-before-seen trans history. I had already experienced such a whirlwind of incredible firsts while working on the production, and I felt that endless possibilities were opening up for me.

I began flipping through the magazine and found myself in awe of what the Level Ground Collective had created within its pages. The freedom of expression displayed in those pages lit me up with inspiration. Level Ground describes SKEW as an “experimental magazine,” and that concept welcomed exploration of what this medium could look like—and what my own point of view could look like in this magazine. “Wouldn’t it be cool to be included in the next issue?” I thought to myself.

It came as a surprise when Level Ground asked me months later to co-curate the second issue of SKEW, but my yes! was immediate and certain. Level Ground has been fertile soil for my growth as an artist these past two years, and I’m keen to continue the streak. Here’s to the deepening of our empathic collaboration in 2021!

Lauren Couch
Curator, SKEW 02: Black Dreams, Futures & Mutual Support