Artist and Professor William Pope.L wants students to "work hard, work harder, then work harder still"
ashanti owusu-brafi, Parents lack the time to teach they’re kids, 2020. Wood birdhouse, single-stack 9mm pistol without a manual safety, and bird feed. Performance documentation courtesy ashanti owusu-brafi.
William Pope.L is an artist with international acclaim, known for his endurance based performance work. The Guggenheim fellow is also a UChicago professor in the Department of Visual Arts (known as DoVA, for short).
Recently, se discussed his teaching philosophy with Art+Education. Below, find Professor Pope.L’s recommendations for teachers and students alike.
Martin Girardi, eddies, 2020. Eight digital photographs.
“Over time, I’ve simplified my teaching philosophy: work, work harder, then work harder still.”
“In the classroom, generally speaking, my advice is: you do not have to be a practicing artist to have an artful attitude.”
“I do not necessarily look to art history for what is essential. I would just as likely look to sociology or psychology or literary or cultural theory. Or use examples of works by art practitioners to exemplify a concept or point of view.”
“Students are frequently inadvertent teachers. They may not envision themselves as such or value this side of the equation, but they contribute knowledge in their own way. The difference between us perhaps is I pay more attention to how the knowledge I deliver is imparted.”
“If a student specifically asks me for advice and is planning to go into the field, I tell them: work hard, be patient, have a thick skin, a healthy sense of humor and oh, yeah, lest I forget—work hard!”
All quotes courtesy of Art+Education. Read the full article here.