10 Questions with MJ Pope

Born in Sacramento, CA, MJ Pope is an American multimedia artist currently based in Boise, ID, studying at Boise State University to get her BFA in time-based art. With a background in Opera, jazz, and musical performance, her work aims to bring together the performing arts with the visual arts. Her recent projects have shifted from 2D works to video and performance art. Her most recent video piece, “I am Earth, and so are you,” is currently on display in the Boise State Blue Galleries. Through the union of visual art and sound, MJ creates works concerning bodily autonomy and the queer experience.

@notmj2004

ARTIST STATEMENT

“I am a visual artist and musician currently located in Boise, Idaho. I have always had a passion for musical performance and composition, which as a visual artist has pushed me to explore mediums that I can merge with music and sound- video, poetry, and performance art. I enjoy creating visuals for musical compositions, or filming performances with the intention of creating a video work out of it. Through art, I want to explore my identity as a queer woman, and tackle subjects I’m very passionate about, especially the body. I feel inclined to create work that discusses bodily autonomy and trauma through the body. Showcasing how the body moves and functions, employing dream-like, at times gothic imagery.” - MJ Pope

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. When and how did you start getting involved with art?

I'm MJ Pope; I'm a 19-year-old interdisciplinary artist. I started getting involved with the arts when I was fairly young since both sides of my family had visual artists and musicians. I've always been interested in the arts, but I started becoming more invested in a career in the arts when I reached high school. The visual arts department there was fairly small, but I enjoyed it because it was such a relaxed, friendly environment.

You work primarily with performance and time-based art forms. Why did you choose these mediums in the first place, and what do they represent for you?

I sort of found my way to them once I started at university. I originally started as a general visual arts major; I had been planning to choose an emphasis in either illustration or drawing and painting. A professor of mine recommended I take the time-based art class, so I did. It gave me the chance to learn about art mediums I hadn't thought of before and to bring my love of music into my art. For me, it represents connection. Working on more performative, video-based works makes me feel more connected to the audience (whoever's watching). I want them to feel more involved in the work, whether they're watching a live performance or a video of it; I want them to have to think about the content they're consuming.

I am Earth, and so are you (image still), video, 6’45’’, 2023 © MJ Pope

How does your experience in the performing arts influence your approach to creating multimedia art?

I think it makes me more flexible; most of my projects start out very open-ended. My own creative process usually starts with a baseline idea, a broader conceptual meaning for the piece. From there, I begin to think about the materials of the piece and its visual content. I kind of run through different scenarios in terms of how I want the piece to be executed. When I think about the different approaches, such as through music, performance, or 2D work, I eventually decide to focus on whatever will communicate the idea or meaning the best.

Your works often explore themes of bodily autonomy and the queer experience. What draws you to these themes, and how do you translate them into visual and auditory narratives?

I'm drawn to them purely because the two very closely affect me as a queer woman. I journal nearly daily (poetry, diary entries, project ideas) and when I'm working through an idea for a project that I feel a personal connection to, I usually pull from past or recent journal entries. I want my own voice to be heard in every piece. I thoroughly enjoy fantastic visuals and aesthetics, but I don't want pieces to feel fictional, which is why I often attempt to create narratives that feel surreal but still rooted in our reality.

How do you see the relationship between art and activism intersecting in your work, particularly concerning issues of identity and social justice?

I think for any artist, it's nearly impossible to separate art from activism. For me, it feels obligatory in a way. You can't simply avoid social issues, which is why I think it's important to be creating work that speaks out about them, even if you have a small platform or audience. As I said earlier, I feel inclined to create work about the queer experience as well as bodily autonomy. I used to only think about art as a way to create work about my own experience, but now I try to approach it as creating work about a shared experience between many, which I think applies to nearly any social issue.

Modern Woman (and all she’s good for), graphite and colored pencil, 14x17 in, 2023 © MJ Pope

As a multimedia artist, how do you navigate the digital landscape and incorporate technology into your creative process, if at all?

I feel that the digital landscape is always changing, especially with the rise of AI, which makes it very overwhelming to navigate all of these different online spaces. We're constantly being confronted with new ideas through technology, which, as I said, is at times overwhelming, but it also feels like I'm constantly being introduced to new subject matter and materials. When I'm in the beginning stages of a project, I think about the technological barriers and advantages that I have. I've more recently been trying to learn about different tools and technology by incorporating it into projects. I used to be very overwhelmed by simple editing software like Adobe Premiere or DaVinci Resolve, but once I was in a class where I was forced to use them both, I realized it was easier than I thought. Now that I know most things just take time to learn, I love trying to implement new software and equipment into my ideas.

Your work aims to bridge the gap between the performing arts and the visual arts. What unique opportunities does this interdisciplinary approach offer, and what new dimensions does it bring to your artistic expression?

It gives me the chance to work with different people. I took a class last semester where I made a few new friends, all of whom were also multimedia, interdisciplinary artists. One of them loves to incorporate very synthetic visuals and sounds through the use of different technological approaches; another one loves to bring her love of dance into her video works. Getting to work with them and learn from them made me want to explore as many mediums as I can. For a long time, I felt like I had to keep to one medium or motif despite the fact that I often felt pulled in multiple directions and mediums. I think it's overall very humbling and eye-opening to be exposed to so many different practices; it has definitely made me more open to collaboration and experimentation within art.

The First (image still), video, 2’ 12’’, 2023 © MJ Pope

Looking ahead, what future projects or themes are you interested in exploring in your multimedia art practice, and how do you envision your work evolving in the future?

I'm very interested in pursuing more physical works, especially through dance and movement. I have no experience in dance or choreographed movement, but recently, I've felt so drawn to it. I'm fascinated by the different ideas the body can communicate through movement. Sensuality, brutality, sorrow. I want to expand my knowledge of dance so that I can learn to use it when directing pieces in the future; I could see it inspiring me to take on more of a director's role in the future.

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future in terms of new projects?

At the moment, I'm working on a conceptual album, a collection of songs and visuals that are meant to tell a story. I've been writing, recording, and producing it myself for the past year or so. It's something I've been doing my best to be patient with; I've been forcing myself not to put a deadline on the project. I want to be completely satisfied with the project, especially when music is something that is so personal to me. I have a few other projects on the horizon, one of which I plan to work on with a friend of mine. It's a short film that will sort of combine our shared disciplines; we're in the very early planning stages for it, though.

Finally, do you have any upcoming shows or collaborations you are looking forward to?

I currently have work on display in the Blue Galleries at Boise State University for the Annual Student Juried Exhibition. The exhibition is filled with many young, talented artists. I am incredibly grateful to be included this year. Next month, I'll be installing a mural for Treefort Music Fest's 2024 Window Walk (Treefort is a local music festival here in Boise, ID). It'll be my second year doing it, and I'm excited to get started! Other than the short film project I mentioned, that's about all I have coming up in the near future.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.

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