The Spanish Pyrenees, the Everest and the Himalayas, the Seine and Tagus rivers… All of these geographic elements are conceptually portrayed in Rivers and Mountains, Maya Lin’s first exhibition in Madrid and also in the Spanish territory. This North American prominent artist and architect approaches landscapes, geography and -in summary- the Earth’s natural resources from a critical perspective. From an environmental optics, with these 23 works showcased at the Ivorypress gallery, Lin wanted to “focus on what we are loosing to wake us up, to get us to act”, she explains.
As we run our eyes over the gallery, a large drawing in space made out of wire outlines the silhouette of the Everest. Two sculpted tables built with wood and marble show the beautiful line of the Aneto Peak standing above the cloud-line. Thousands of pins recreate the watershed of the Tagus river and a trail of recycled silver shows us the basin of the Seine. Displaying an outstanding command of technique, all sorts of landforms are featured in a very personal interpretation of landscape and orography. “I think I’m a cartographer, or maybe I’m a failed, ‘wanna-be’ scientist”, Lin jokes. What she certainly is, is a committed artist.
By using different materials (always local and recycled) and techniques, these works created in the past decade –and some of them, specially conceived for Ivorypress Gallery- reflect on the humankind’s wastefulness. Maya Lin uses her art as a whip to our conscience, trying to raise awareness on the importance of preserving the Earth’s natural resources. The artist leaves us with a disturbing reflection: “we are throwing our grandkids future away”, she claims.
Where: Ivorypress Space, Calle Comandante Zorita 48, Madrid (Spain)
When: 16th September to 1st November
Fractured Landscapes, Maya Lin 2006. ©Ivorypress
Wire Landscape (Everest), Maya Lin 2012. ©Ivorypress
Greenwich Mean Time, Maya Lin 2013. ©Ivorypress.
Untitled (Plaster Relief Landscapes), Maya Lin 2006. ©Ivorypress.
Pin River: Tagus Watershed, Maya Lin 2014. ©Ivorypress.
Maya Lin portrayed by ©Walter Smith.
