How Much is that Nigger in the Window a.k.a. Tompkins Square Crawl
Pope.L
American, 1955–2023
1991
An asphalt block used by Pope.L in his 1991 performance How Much is that Nigger in the Window a.k.a. Tompkins Square Crawl, presented as a provocative object to confront viewers with racist language and the material reality of city streets.
At first glance it looks like a heavy, irregular square of tar and gravel—pitted, rough, and studded with fragments of stone—as if a piece of pavement has been lifted and placed before you.
The piece exemplifies Pope.L’s strategy of turning everyday urban detritus into a confrontational sculptural and performative vocabulary that lays bare the intersections of race, public space, and language.
Medium
Asphalt block
Dimensions
11 × 9 × 11 1/2" (27.9 × 22.9 × 29.2 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of The Jill and Peter Kraus Media and Performance Acquisition Fund, Jill and Peter Kraus, Anne and Joel S. Ehrenkranz, The Contemporary Arts Council of The Museum of Modern Art, and Jill and Peter Kraus in honor of Michael Lynne
Accession
85.2019.7
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
