Artwork Page for The Bad Air Smelled of Roses: The Will is Lost in Space

Details / Information for The Bad Air Smelled of Roses: The Will is Lost in Space

The Bad Air Smelled of Roses: The Will is Lost in Space

2004–ongoing

Carl Pope Jr.

(American, b. 1961)

the artist at York Show Print, York, Alabama

View all records in artwork set
Culture
America
Medium
letterpress poster
Measurements
Sheet: 48.3 x 35.6 cm (19 x 14 in.)
Credit Line
Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Whitehill Art Purchase Endowment Fund and gift of David Lusenhop in honor of the artist 2018.33.47
Copyright
Copyright
This artwork is known to be under copyright.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Carl Pope describes The Bad Air Smelled of Roses as an ongoing essay about the presence and function of Blackness in society. To date, the work comprises 108 posters that present texts from a range of sources, including modern Black literature, René Descartes, jazz and rap music, Sigmund Freud, Malcolm X, Dolly Parton, movie dialogue from Casablanca and The Matrix, and a TV commercial for bubble bath. For Pope, Blackness is not limited to African American identity, but encompasses all that is unseen, unknown, oppressed, forgotten, or rejected. The posters therefore present varied and often conflicting voices that the artist hopes will challenge viewers to look beyond mainstream preconceptions and experience Blackness as a natural, expansive realm of alternative possibilities. The letterpress medium links this work with ephemeral printed materials typically used to create advertisements, flyers, and picket signs. Stapled to the wall like notices on the street, the posters confront the exclusivity of the fine art gallery as they vacillate between art and public discourse.
A vertically oriented letterpress poster features the phrase "THE WILL IS LOST IN SPACE" stacked in bold block letters. Large black characters reveal a gritty wood-grain texture, while "THE," "IS," and "IN" appear in smaller fonts. Each character is paired with a soft gray shadow offset to the left, suggesting depth. These varying scales create a rhythmic hierarchy against the light paper, anchored by address text flanked by rows of stars.

The Bad Air Smelled of Roses: The Will is Lost in Space

2004–ongoing

Carl Pope Jr., the artist at York Show Print, York, Alabama

(American, b. 1961)
America

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork