Who was Pope L.? Tributes pour in as acclaimed crawling performance artist dies aged 68

Popular visual artist William Pope L. passed away at the age of 68 on December 23, 2023. A cause of death was not disclosed, but he was at his residence in Chicago, as per a statement shared by the New York-based gallery, Mitchell-Innes & Nash.

Over the years, William was praised for his crawl performances at various places like SoHo, Times Square, and more. He also established a white room as part of a show called Impossible Failures, at a gallery called 52 Walker, located in Manhattan earlier this year, as per The New York Times.

Pope L.'s friends and colleagues took to social media to express their grief over his demise. Curator and educator Ed Woodham posted two photos on Facebook and described Pope as an "art inspiration" for many years.

"Vulnerable with biting humor, powerful, and legendary change maker – he altered the way we see visual and performance art forever."

A majority of the tributes featured glimpses of William's performances throughout his career.

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William Pope L.'s crawl performances made him a popular face among the public

William Pope L.' s biography on the official website of Mitchell-Innes & Nash states that his successful career dates back to the 70s. He spent his childhood in Newark with his parents Lucille Lancaster and William Pope.

William struggled with some problems in his childhood. His father left him and his mother a few years after he was born, and his mother became a victim of addiction. He soon moved to his grandmother, Desma Lancaster's house in the East Village.

He completed his graduation at Montclair State College and finished his studies at the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program, Mason Gross School of the Arts, and Mabou Mines theater.

Eventually, he developed an interest in art, and his crawl performances helped him to become a popular face among the public.

Starting from 1978 when he made his first crawl performance, he continued performing at various other places. His most famous acts include Tompkins Square Crawl and The Great White Way where his outfits received a positive feedback

Pope L. later gained recognition for another act called Eating The Wall Street Journal where he used white products on top of himself and ate The Wall Street Journal on top of a toilet seat.

Apart from his crawl performances, he served at Bates College as a teacher. He was also known for his work as a lecturer and was a faculty member at the visual arts department of the University of Chicago.

While speaking to Interview Magazine about his crawl performances, William said that he loves "making work with others." He continued:

"I enjoy the small moments of revelation that are only possible in the company of others. I enjoy making a clear puzzle. I realize more and more that making is unmaking. To make something is to undo it. To make something is to make it less mysterious, that is, in the process of removing a veil, one of many."

In the same interview, he revealed that the crawl performances used to be a group activity and described himself as a "volunteer" when he started getting involved.

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Netizens pay tribute to William Pope L. on social media

Pope L. became a well-known face over the years and accumulated a huge fanbase from his work. Social media platforms were flooded with tributes when the news of his death went viral. Here's what some of them say:

William's survivors include his partner Mami Takahashi and a son named Desmond Tarkowski-Pope L. As mentioned earlier, his cause of death is yet to be revealed.