Pope.L

J.G. BALLARD

2016
acrylic marker, pencil, and painted push pins on rag paper in artist frame
14 1/4 x 11 1/4 x 2 3/8 inches

Being literal has its advantages, but it takes you to abstraction. If you take language that literal, you’re going to get to a place where you’re really floating above the ground of language. There’s a certain magic there, I think. – Pope.L

For over three decades, visual and performance artist Pope.L has tackled issues of race in a variety of media. J.G. Ballard is part of his Skin Set series, a frenetic distillation of ideas, language, and imagery connected to race the artist began in 1997 that encompasses over a thousand drawings. Thick smears of paint cover the words “WHITE COP WHITER DONUT,” and the drawing extends out into the frame with pencil marks and gunked-up pushpins. Like much of Pope.L’s text, the phrase is both politically charged and utterly nonsensical. Pope.L has had solo exhibitions at museums worldwide, and he has performed and exhibited at a number of public institutions.

© pope.l