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Artists

Pope.L

b. Newark, NJ, 1955
d. Chicago, IL, 2023

A key figure in the development of performance art, Pope.L has forged a diverse career as a multidisciplinary visual artist and educator. He explores binaries, contraries, and stereotypes intertwined within contemporary American society. Among his most well-known early works are the “Crawls,” video works in which the artist is featured crawling down New York City streets on his belly, drawing attention to those who lack the privilege—by birth, wealth, or status—of remaining upright. His works often comment on the abstract idea of the American Dream, with a fierce emphasis on the inequities caused by poverty and housing insecurity. Pope.L uses his platform to acknowledge his experience as a Black man in America and to challenge societal expectations of “Blackness” through radical or “improper” techniques.

–Tia Kescoli, from the Glenstone Field Guide