Before you run over to Fleisher on Friday, Dec. 7, for the opening of the 2012 Wind Challenge Exhibition 2, which features work by Tim Portlock, Micah Danges and Bill Gerhard, listen to our interview with Portlock, from last September. This podcast originally published on Sept. 4, 2012.
Tim Portlock‘s new digital prints, made using 3D animation and gaming software, are influenced by the American sublime landscape painting tradition, he says. That makes sense if you know that the artist comes from a painting background, where he painted beautiful landscapes, including some murals in Chicago. Portlock’s new works — which go on exhibit at Vox Populi Gallery this Friday (he is a member) — are indeed painterly, although they are not make with paint. What they look like are birds-eye views of depopulated urban scenes of Philadelphia and other cities. Working from photographs that he takes, Portlock builds up his cities from scratch. In his new world order, there are no people in evidence because the artist would rather have you insert yourself into the work. While he is raising issues about wealth, poverty, and the sad state of American cities, his work is sly and not overtly political. We interviewed Tim at his home/studio in West Philadelphia.
This episode is edited by Peter Crimmins. The music is by Eric Biondo. Thanks to the Knight Foundation for helping us get the ball rolling on this project. Thanks also to J-Lab‘s Enterprise Reporting Fund and William Penn Foundation for additional support and to our partner WHYY NewsWorks for their ongoing support. You can listen to Artblog Radio on Apple and Spotify.
