Interview with Nicholas Pope on his sculpture The Church, the Village and Myself, Much Marcle, 8 February 2023

The artist Nicholas Pope is interviewed in his studio to learn more about his art making process and his ideas about the aging of his work, in particular in relation to his painted wooden sculpture The Church, The Village and Myself, from the collection of the Kröller-Müller Museum. The interview was prompted by research project POPE: Resin Bleed, about the nature and conservation possibilities of the resin bleed seen on the sculpture. The artist’s ideas about the work’s condition should inform decision-making about a conservation treatment. In general, the artist states that he is not alarmed by material inherent changes to his work if they are conversant with the work’s age. ‘Honesty’ is a word that comes up. After seeing detailed photographs showing the amount of black drippings on the white surface, he finally indicates that this is simply too much. However, do note the follow-up interview on 5 July 2023, in which he revises these remarks, returning to his initial statements about letting the material live, in reaction to having seen an overview of the sculpture on film and photographs (archived at the Kröller-Müller Museum). Aside from the conservation problem, his new clay sculpture in his studio, The Whole Family, is discussed, on which he works with assistance from Thomas Lyons. Audio recording continues when leaving the studio, and similar work in the store is inspected for signs of resinosis, and Pope’s Champagne Perry operations become clear. From his garden, Pope points out the village with the church, and the location of Hellens Manor, origin of the tree for eight of his sculptures.