Pope.L's continued exploration of social constructions surrounding communication, media, language and consumerism plays out in "Model," an object-like mixed media work built up inside of a plywood box. Two magazine editorials of Black American beauty pageant contestants are framed, or perhaps confined, by peanut butter applied by the artist in an almost expressionistic fashion. (Since the 1970s, Pope.L has incorporated cheap food stuffs— frankfurters, mayonnaise, coffee grinds, alcohol and more— into his practice.) It is his intention to highlight the complex nature of collective perceptions, and here he has taken on the subject of the American beauty pageant, an age-old Western tradition that has long kept minority groups out of contests. His use of black models here is deliberate, but even more so is his color choice. The peanut butter, gel medium and plywood are all particularly light shades of brown, which seems to point to the rampant colorism harbored in these institutions, even within the black community. Over time, the oil from the peanut butter has seeped into the glossy magazine pages, discoloring the image and causing the words on the reverse to show through, suggesting the insidious yet transparent nature of prejudices.