Uploaded November 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
“Researching empty buildings is an entry point into understanding some of the dynamics that are going on in that place,” says Tim Portlock, chair of undergraduate art in WashU’s Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. “Even when the economy is booming, we tend to leave out the stories of people who can’t necessarily participate in that exchange.”
In “Nickels from Heaven,” his new exhibition for the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Portlock explores both the iconography of the American landscape and the reality of life in the post-industrial American city. The exhibition was created as part of the museum’s Great Rivers Biennial 2020, which also features new work by WashU alumni Kahlil Robert Irving (MFA ’17) and Rachel Youn (BFA ’17).
In this video, Portlock, discusses his work, his use of visual effects and 3D animation software, and what architecture reveals about the state of the American dream.
https://source.wustl.edu/2020/11/washington-people-tim-portlock/
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About Washington University in St. Louis:
Washington University is a leader in research, scholarship and patient care. Through our world-class faculty, students, physicians, staff, alumni and friends, WashU brings us closer to the knowledge that matters and the stories that inspire us to change the world.
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“Researching empty buildings is an entry point into understanding some of the dynamics that are going on in that place,” says Tim Portlock, chair of undergraduate art in WashU’s Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. “Even when the economy is booming, we tend to leave out the stories of people who can’t necessarily participate in that exchange.”
In “Nickels from Heaven,” his new exhibition for the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Portlock explores both the iconography of the American landscape and the reality of life in the post-industrial American city. The exhibition was created as part of the museum’s Great Rivers Biennial 2020, which also features new work by WashU alumni Kahlil Robert Irving (MFA ’17) and Rachel Youn (BFA ’17).
In this video, Portlock, discusses his work, his use of visual effects and 3D animation software, and what architecture reveals about the state of the American dream.
https://source.wustl.edu/2020/11/washington-people-tim-portlock/
→Subscribe: bit.ly/WashUSubscribe
About Washington University in St. Louis:
Washington University is a leader in research, scholarship and patient care. Through our world-class faculty, students, physicians, staff, alumni and friends, WashU brings us closer to the knowledge that matters and the stories that inspire us to change the world.
Get more from Washington University:
Official site: https://wustl.edu
The Source: https://source.wustl.edu
Facebook: facebook.com/wustl
Instagram: instagram.com/wustl_official/?hl=en
