TitleFlatlands #29
Artist
Maya Lin
(American, b. 1959)
Date1997
MediumMonotype from broken glass, printed in blue ink on white wove paper
DimensionsSheet size: 20 1/16 × 18 1/8 in.
Other (Backing board): 22 1/2 × 20 3/4 in.
SignedSigned in graphite at BR.
SubmissionNA diploma presentation, May 21, 2003
Credit LineNational Academy of Design, New York, NY
Object number2003.10
Label TextSince the early 1980s Maya Lin has created transgressive works that often blur the lines between sculpture and architecture. Trained as an architect at Yale University, Lin won the commission to design the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 1981 as an undergraduate architecture student, instantly catapulting her to the forefront of her field. While it was extremely controversial to many conservative public figures, Lin's ingenious abstract design avoided any political or narrative content and created a monument to allow the visitor to have a personal experience. Since that time Lin has created some of the most innovative architectural and earthwork installations and continues to engage in a dialogue between art and architecture."Flatlands" is from a series of monoprints created by the artist in 1997. Lin has always been interested in topology, the study of surface, either geological or mathematical. The monoprints from this series relate to the artist's interest and were created by inking a plate of glass that is broken as it is run through a printing press. The resulting series of works--"Flatlands"--are a unique set of prints that are reminiscent of minimalist abstractions, geography, glacial ice or landscapes--which are all recurring themes in the Lin's work.
