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William Pope.L

The Polis or the Garden or Human Nature in Action
09.23.11 - 10.16.11
Exhibition — les Abattoirs, Musée – Frac Occitanie Toulouse

 William Pope.L
The polis or the garden or human nature in action (UK version), 1996
Location: London, UK
Photo: Thierry Bal, courtesy Thomas Dane Gallery and the artist

 

Born 1955 in Newark (USA), he lives in Lewiston (USA).

 

“Like the African shaman who chews his pepper seeds and spits seven times into the air, I believe art re-ritualizes the everyday to reveal something fresh about our lives. This revelation is a vitality and it is a power to change the world.” – William Pope.L


Multidisciplinary artist known for his conceptual art, he is often linked with performance. His work addresses questions of race, sex, power, consumerism and social class. Styling himself the “Friendliest Black artist in America,” Pope.L incites dialogue by means of his provocative performances, installations and art objects. One of the series of performances which did most to make a name for him was Crawls, begun in 1978, as part of his more general “Racism Projects.” He takes over the street, slowly and painfully making his way by crawling on belly, on his knees, his backs and his hands, trying to attract the attention of those who wield power over the weak, to make them aware of his distress.

 

In Toulouse, at the request of Anne Pontégnie, he is reactivating and revisiting The Polis or the Garden or Human Nature in Action (1998). In the hall at les Abattoirs – Musée Frac Occitanie Toulouse, hundreds of sprouting onions, meticulously painted black and white, stand on shelves with mirrors behind them in an organic appropriation of minimalist vocabulary.