In Black Domestic a.k.a. Cow Commercial, Pope.L roams the streets, tunnels, and buildings of midtown Manhattan dressed in a pastel suit and carrying a black-and-white plastic cow. Performing as a sidewalk oracle, he makes religious and philosophical declarations that border on the absurd. At one point, he installs a miniature American flag in the anus of the cow—the animal is conspicuously marked as “SOLD”—then sticks an empty wine bottle labeled “RACE” into its mouth. Partly a spoof on the popular 1990s advertising campaign “Got Milk?,” Black Domestic parodies racial stereotypes that turn identities into consumable commodities.
Gallery label from October 21, 2019–February 1, 2020