11/23/2023 0 Comments Maya lin drawings© Maya Lin Studio, courtesy of Pace Gallery. Works such as these reveal the prejudices inherent in mapmaking, allowing us both to see the raw data and to visualize its manipulation.ĥ2 Ways to See the Earth, 2008. She carves through pages of her Atlases to create topographic landscapes from maps of vastly different places. Lin draws attention to these biases in works such as 52 Ways to See the Earth, in which fifty-two topographic section drawings are rendered in three-dimensional slats that can be rearranged to provide different views. Focusing on land often comes with political biases that affect which continents or countries are included, as well as their positioning and relative size. The perspective of each map is dependent on the view of the person making it. Many maps, attempting to rationalize landforms, focus primarily on continents, countries or cities. Lin’s sculptures of landforms spark somatic experiences that allow viewers to feel their relation to the land depicted. How do you experience the land? Piece by piece? Step by step? We are often not able to fully comprehend the scale, structure and interconnectedness of natural systems from our limited personal vantage point. I like to ground the viewer in what is literally right below their feet or out their front door. -Maya Lin These views allow us to see both the wonder and fragility of this vital component of life on Earth.īlack Sea (Bodies of Water series), 2006. Lin provides viewers with access to forms that are mostly inaccessible, such as aerial perspectives or dramatic cutaways. The Bodies of Water series gives three-dimensional form to the space carved out by the Black, Caspian and Red seas. Shimmering constellations of thousands of stainless steel pins capture the surface and pattern of the Connecticut River or the catastrophic flooding of New York’s waterways by Hurricane Sandy. Lin’s works on the subject of water make liquid solid and make visible its many systems. Rivers and lakes not only provide vital fresh water for human, animal and plant life they also shape the land in numerous ways. Over 95 percent of this is from the oceans, which regulate climate and support the majority of life forms on the planet. Maya Linħ1 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. Sometimes I focus on a river or body of water for environmental importance at other times, I am drawn to the form itself. This online tour was created by Smith College's Interactive Media Coordinator Andrew Maurer. Use the arrows to move through the gallery or drag the image to rotate your view. It also provides an expanded view of Lin’s engagement with placemaking.Įxplore the exhibition with this virtual tour! The exhibition complements the opening of Neilson Library, a major building project on the Smith College campus designed by Lin. Their presentation here is an opportunity to make sense of our current predicament and imagine a better future. Interacting with these artworks offers a way to contemplate ideas that can seem too complex or large to absorb. The work reminds us of our collective responsibility to protect the earth. This interactive, multi-site artwork bears witness to the cumulative and ongoing devastation of species loss caused by human action. These artworks open a dialogue between the artist and the viewer.Ī key component of the exhibition is what Lin has called her “last memorial,” What Is Missing?. Using a variety of materials, including steel pins, marble, and bound atlases, Lin distills complicated scientific and quantitative information into resonant objects. The exhibition brings attention to environmental issues like climate change, species extinction and the relationship between humans and the world we inhabit. This exhibition showcases art by Maya Lin (American, born 1959). Each of my works originates from a simple desire to make people aware of their surroundings, not just the physical world but also the psychological world we live in.
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