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Art Tue Feb 23 2010
Maya Lin at The Arts Club of Chicago
Maya Lin is a monumental sculptor and architect, most famous for her Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington, DC. Lin was only a 21-year-old undergrad when she completed that work and fortunately she didn't she burn out early. She has been working non-stop since then, creating landscape sculptures, public art, architectural concepts and art that is based in natural themes.
The exhibition at The Arts Club of Chicago (201 E. Ontario) is made up of 11 works of varying media that piggyback her exhibitions, Topologies and Systematic Landscapes that explore landscape and technological forms. The first piece seen the moment viewers walk in is Blue Lake Pass which is made up of undulating particle board that recreates the Rocky Mountain Pass. To the right, Flow is a sea of upright 2x4s standing shoulder to shoulder, in varying lengths, creating a large wave-like structure. One of the installers explained the installation process, which consisted of five guys lifting and placing 200-pound sections of wood. Each section is glued together but it seems like the pieces on the outside ring aren't touching at all. This is because they interconnected them with another piece below that remains unseen. The first time Flow was exhibited, each 2 x 4 was separate which meant they had to be placed individually -- a time consuming endeavor.
Accompanying those large, dense works are more delicate pieces made from more graceful materials such as straight pins, hand-blown glass and wire. All the materials Lin uses are sustainable and recycled. The exhibit provides a calming, reflective experience about our planet and its natural forms in the middle of downtown.
