Artist Warren Pope addresses inequality in NAAM exhibit
by Lisa Edge | June 19th, 2019
For more than three decades, Warren Pope has worked on perfecting his artistic point of view. Inspiration can come in the middle of the night or, at times, he’ll pivot from one piece to another when a new idea reveals itself. Pope’s work isn’t just expertly executed; he also gives the viewer much to ponder.
“I always say that every artist has a duty to do something besides decorate,” said Pope. “I can’t tell artists what to do but that’s how I feel about it. I’ve invested my whole life into it.”
That’s exactly what he’s done in “Warren Pope: Blood Lines Time Lines Red Lines,” the latest exhibition at Northwest African American Museum (NAAM). He addresses social trauma, racism and violence through contemporary sculpture and mixed media works. The sprawling exhibition includes 71 mostly new works of art. Many are imbued with an element of movement and the titles are just as impactful as the pieces themselves.