Pope.L. is Making a Commitment to Art | Louisiana Channel

”I want to make sure I do things where I’m showing a commitment.” American artist Pope.L. has crawled through Times Square in a suit, eaten the Wall Street Journal and painted onions in the colours of the American flag. Meet the artists who, in his own words, “make stuff.”
“It was my grandmother. It was her idea.” Pope.L.’s grandmother wanted to be an artist, so she encouraged him to go down that path: “Black people. Poor Black people. It’s just not realistic at that time to think about yourself in that way. I mean, I don’t even think it was realistic for her to think about me in that way.” Yet, she did, and Pope.L. ended up studying art: “I think I had excellent teachers. You have to have an interesting mix of encouragement, criticism, and good conversation.”
“My material is whatever is necessary to get the job done. I’m very practical that way.” Pope.L.s practice does not limit itself to one medium. After grad school, he wanted to learn more about theatre and wrote a lot: “One reason why I chose writing and performance was that you could do them very cheaply.” When asked what writing and performance give each other, the answer is clear: “The connection is duration.” Pope.L. is primarily known for his “Crawls”, which are multiple performances in which he crawls across the ground, often in New York, where he lived back in the 1970s. Back then, homelessness was severe in the city and Pope.L. had many close family members who were homeless. “It really touched me that it was happening on such a large and visual scale,” he says and continues: “When you have so many people in your family who are suffering from this thing, maybe you think it’ll happen to you. Like a disease.”
Another iconic performance of Pope.L. is one in which he eats the Wall Street Journal. In the late 90s and the beginning of the 2000s, the newspaper had a campaign that suggested that simply purchasing the paper would provide you with knowledge. So, he thought about what would happen if he ate the paper. “It was one of these commitments I made to the project. If I’m going to work publicly with myself and my body, I want to make sure that I do things where I’m showing a commitment.” Being raised in a Black Christian home, Pope.L. decided to drink milk while eating the paper: “Christianity is into liquids. And they’re into rituals. Doing activities that aren’t always clearly understandable if you don’t know the rules.”
Milk, peanut butter and onions. Pope.L. does not stray away from food in his art. In his show ‘Trinket’ from 2015, he showed hundreds of onions painted in the colours of the American flag. To him, the onion is a complex object that changes over time: “I wanted an object that would perform,” he says and continues: “I think objects are always doing something. It’s always performing.” With the onions, Pope.L. was trying to bring order to something that would eventually fall apart.
Pope.L. (also known as William Pope.L., born in 1955 in Newark, New Jersey) is an American visual artist best known for his work in performance art and interventionist public art. He has also produced art in painting, photography and theatre. He was included in the 2002 Whitney Biennial and is a Guggenheim Fellow and a recipient of the Creative Capital Visual Arts Award. Pope.L. was also included in the 2017 Whitney Biennial. Recent exhibitions, performances, and projects include Between A Figure and A Letter at Schinkel Pavillion, Berlin (2022); Misconceptions at Portikus, Frankfurt (2021); Four Panels at Mitchell-Innes & Nash, New York (2021); Instigation, Aspiration, Perspiration, a trio of complementary exhibitions of his work in New York organised by the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art and Public Art Fund (2019), Flint Water Project at What Pipeline, Detroit (2017) and Whispering Campaign at documenta 14, Athens and Kassel (2017).
Pope.L. was interviewed by Roxanne Bagheshirin Lærkesen in his studio in Chicago in February 2023.
Camera: Sean Hanley
Edited and produced by: Roxanne Bagheshirin Lærkesen
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2023.
Louisiana Channel is supported by Den A.P. Møllerske Støttefond, Ny Carlsbergfondet and C.L. Davids Fond og Samling.
#PopeL #Artist #Performance
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[@amitnaamani6207]

Wow. The world was so lucky to have him able to produce his work. RIP dude. 🎨

[@KBD-ONE]

Fell in love when I watched this earlier in the year. In my head, I said that's what an artist sounds like. I could relate. R.I.P.

[@vesely8814]

Miss you, Pope.L. You were brilliant and so kind. Thanks!

[@Jonathan-tm3jg]

I’m an abstract artist. I wanna be him one day. Such a brilliant model.

[@wwddwi2183]

Abstract art is difficult for me. I’m an abstract thinker, abstract painting is tough. So I’m listening to this brotha to see if it’ll spark, a train of thought. ✌🏿💯👍🏿

[@wildcolonialboydetecting8335]

Mr Pope, thankyou for exposing all the negative ambiguities of racism in American society and with such wit. It has been observed Americans lack understanding about the role of " Irony " and you excel in exposing this great humanistic equalizer. Keep up the good work .

[@patriciavandalen1955]

Long praise to Pope.L., a national treasure who left great lessons in art.

[@_....J........................]

would love to hear Saidiya Hartman and Fred Moten talking about William Pope.L and his work. Or even Frank B. Wilderson and Joy James. Rest In Power !

[@Heyu7her3]

Was he Afro-Pessimist?

[@jackya]

I just now happened upon Pope. L. (the internet!) and would like to say thank you to him for the guidance, watching this helped me work out an issue I'd been struggling with in my own art. RIP.

[@patchwork_girl]

I’d love to have him as an art teacher. Seems like such a wise dude.

[@lizobasuke8765]

You're beautiful Pope L ! ❤❤❤

[@liman524]

Thank you so much for this brilliant interview

[@veroniquesanleandro7022]

amazing human being free thinker and social force !!! love for ever!

[@timewaster4929]

Brilliant work.

[@Drivingformoney]

Brilliant

[@justjayarrsteiner]

I love this channel

[@nicolasb.henry294]

Me too I just discovered it otday and really love it

[@austin7581]

Powerful stuff. Thank you for this video and your work.

[@terrelldrayton]

This is good energy

[@annmariealanes1373]

R.I.P. Pope. L.

[@wannad8290]

🙏🏿 RIP

[@manfocused]

RIP.

[@GrandPrizeFitnesAJAY]

I'd love to be his friend/mentee. I look forward to meeting him soon.

[@thenonetipical]

i love this

[@ueckbueck]

2:31

[@StreetLove410]

POPE L. -v- PopE Ye's

[@purplethang]

man this is boring.

[@alisonattenborough8257]

soooo good!

[@mgu1N1n1]

oh, the guy who hung baloney slices on the gallery wall..... such genius. Yawn!

[@naosaupictures]

guy

[@MakhemaMuvhofhololi]

“Objects are always doing something, they’re always performing in a subtle manner. “ 🖤

[@deronfisher1508]

RIP to this man, there will never be another like him

[@nicolasb.henry294]

This guy is very clever and very wise. I love this interview.

[@thenonetipical]

"noo, im kidding!"😭😭 that lil bacground story really got me

[@CelBlanc]

Moses would have a kick outta that one😂

[@goldengilmaky6788]

This is what is means to live on your own terms and free

[@DK-jg5vk]

At the age of fourteen my Grandmother asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I told her I wanted to be an artist. "Ohhh Ohhh" she replied. "Get ready to go to bed hungry". "You better get used to sleeping on the cold floor". I began to lie to adults when they asked.

[@chelseafisher6881]

Do you do art still?

[@Ozblu3y]

she had been conditioned to not express herself. Worry not about her words, and express yourself. You have value

[@janelolita7890]

@@Ozblu3y what a truthful thing to say

[@noname2day394]

My mom told me something similar. And at 26 went through a depressive episode and art is one of the ways that helped me express what I had inside. I also sold paintings but the truth is I couldn't survive on it. I still am an artist but is more of a hobby yet I still dream of that day when I will have a studio and sell art with good money..

[@MakeArtNotWar2023]

RIP brother. Thank you for your contributions.

[@CEO_FADeD]

I miss this era. HE, amongst Basquiat, Harring, so on, IS why I'm an artist to this day at 38 years old. HAVE FUN!!!! Question everything and push for more. This is what art is about. Make people question that prerequisite and order.

[@jadeaslain6327]

What does it mean to be an artist in this time in America, it means to be full of shit with more conviction than anyone. That's what Warhol did and that's what Pope.L did

[@birgittemunch3886]

What a wonderful man - and artist....

[@LeonTrimble]

Omg I’d get so on with this guy if he were still alive. True bravery.

[@mantawoman_]

This is so filled with interest and wisdom. thanks for this! RIP Mr. Pope.L. !

[@christopherdesanges7863]

Pope L. is totally right about the spiritual/Christian nature of Capitalism in the U.S. If you even so much as question certain aspects of the system or even offer some amendments to improve the system, you will either be met with heavy skepticism or simply ignored/ridiculed. Turn on CNBC and/or Fox Business and it's all there.

[@analog-athletics]

Rest in Peace good sir. Thank you.

[@maureenok]

Loved this interview!

[@MOGULBYNATURE]

RIP 🤍

[@annrubino6252]

Hope he is teaching something, anything creative. Mr. L. is so pleasantly eloquent in his commitments.

[@bigbear8645]

RIP❤

[@albertoballocca]

Wise, great Artist!

[@dalanium98]

[@bearbait7405]

Enter questions, difficulty. Not knowing. Tricked into being an artist. Haha. Love, love and love. Prayers lifted for the repose of his soul.

[@thebaseshow]

I would love to meet him gonna find him in the city

[@miamuratori7017]

Rest in Power Beautiful Soul

[@keepyourgrapefruit]

How do such artists get paid?

[@pigeonpat8168]

excellent interview

[@agatarek_pl]

❤

[@mannequinhaus9529]

Ämåzing

[@ArturSilva-q9r]

💯

[@desktorp]

He has clearly never seen the image of the toilet full of shit with a sign hanging over it that reads "Free Obama Dolls"

[@albertinsinger7443]

Less words ,more art. Art and politics do not mix well.

[@daoistdansah54]

Wow, just happened upon this channel and went to Google his work and saw where he became an ancestor on 12-23-23 - -Well done and Rest in Power, Pope L.💫🤍❣

[@rcronico1]

seems like a perfectly nice guy, but his works seems so specific and lack a universality. It's like an inside joke that only 2 people would care about.

[@andred.275]

its called irony bro

[@rcronico1]

@@andred.275 irony or not, it doesn’t take away from the specificity lol

[@AB-wf8ek]

It's called doing the best with what you got. He admitted from the beginning what he had was ignorance and poverty. Of course it's not going to be universal, because he didn't have access to a lot of things growing up. He turned his thoughts into performance as a foil to engage in conversation about the things he knew.

[@user-yk1cw8im4h]

what does being a nice guy has anything to do with good art

[@AB-wf8ek]

@@user-yk1cw8im4h It may not necessarily have anything to do with being a good artist, but it might be a reason why someone would want to sit and listen to someone else talk for a half hour on youtube