Above and Below
Encyclopedia
Above and Below is a installation
by American
artist Maya Lin
, best known for her design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
in Washington, D.C. It is on display at and owned by the Indianapolis Museum of Art
located in Indianapolis, Indiana
, United States
. The artwork was inspired by underground water systems in Indiana
.
galleries to the second floor which featured a balcony overlooking the 100 Acres Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park. The IMA's Jane Weldon Myers Curator of Asian Art Jim Robinson sought to showcase Asian art on the balcony and immediately thought of Lin. The size of the 16 ft (4.9 m). x 100 ft (30.5 m) balcony
caused curator and artist alike to struggle on what could be created for the space. At first Lin thought about creating an artwork for the floor
of the balcony then she decided to create her installation for the ceiling which would unify the Asian Art and contemporary art
galleries. The sculpture was purchased with funds from William L. and Jane H. Fortune with Maya Lin overseeing the installation. As of 2007 a new stone floor was going to be installed on the balcony, with stones selected by Lin, but that was pushed back to early 2008.
and topography
– inspirations that assisted in the creation of Above and Below. After years of struggling with the balcony space and lack of topographical landscaping in central Indiana, Lin received a suggestion from an assistant from Indiana stating that "there isn't that much above ground, but did you realize there are these incredibly long underground river systems?" Lin decided to create an underground river system out of wire
, despite telling the IMA she was creating a landscape
of rubber
. Lin and her team researched the Bluespring Caverns
, the Lost River
, and the White River
. Lin visited the Caverns and worked with U.S. Geological Survey scientists who created an ultrasound
map of the tributaries for the artist. The sculpture seeks to "recreate the experience and feeling" of the underwater landscapes through use of various thickness of wire. Three-fifths of the artwork depict the Bluespring Cavern with the last two sections depicting what is beneath the water level
in the cave.
cold week on the outside balcony. Lin has created other artwork installations which she describes as "drawing in space" including Where the Land Meets the Sea (2008) in the collection of the California Academy of Sciences
.
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist Maya Lin
Maya Lin
Maya Ying Lin is an American artist who is known for her work in sculpture and landscape art. She is the designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.-Personal life:...
, best known for her design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national memorial in Washington, D.C. It honors U.S. service members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War, service members who died in service in Vietnam/South East Asia, and those service members who were unaccounted for during the War.Its...
in Washington, D.C. It is on display at and owned by the Indianapolis Museum of Art
Indianapolis Museum of Art
The Indianapolis Museum of Art is an encyclopedic art museum located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The museum, which underwent a $74 million expansion in 2005, is located on a campus on the near northwest area outside downtown Indianapolis, northwest of Crown Hill Cemetery.The...
located in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The artwork was inspired by underground water systems in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
Description
At 2000 square feet (185.8 m²) the sculpture hangs from the ceiling of the Museum's Fortune balcony which is accessible by the Asian Art gallery. It consists of different thicknesses of black painted wire aluminum tubing strewn together in a flowing-like manner as if to depict a river hanging above the viewers head. Above and Below is visible from the 2nd floor galleries and the 3rd floor windows.Acquisition
In 1990 the IMA moved their Asian artAsian art
Asian art can refer to art amongst many cultures in Asia.-Various types of Asian art:*Afghan art*Azerbaijanian art*Balinese art*Bhutanese art*Buddhist art*Burmese contemporary art*Chinese art*Eastern art*Indian art*Iranian art*Islamic art...
galleries to the second floor which featured a balcony overlooking the 100 Acres Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park. The IMA's Jane Weldon Myers Curator of Asian Art Jim Robinson sought to showcase Asian art on the balcony and immediately thought of Lin. The size of the 16 ft (4.9 m). x 100 ft (30.5 m) balcony
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
caused curator and artist alike to struggle on what could be created for the space. At first Lin thought about creating an artwork for the floor
Floor
A floor is the walking surface of a room or vehicle. Floors vary from simple dirt in a cave to many-layered surfaces using modern technology...
of the balcony then she decided to create her installation for the ceiling which would unify the Asian Art and contemporary art
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
galleries. The sculpture was purchased with funds from William L. and Jane H. Fortune with Maya Lin overseeing the installation. As of 2007 a new stone floor was going to be installed on the balcony, with stones selected by Lin, but that was pushed back to early 2008.
Inspiration & creation
"I don't think people really understand how intricate and beautiful some of these systems are." – Maya Lin"
Inspiration
Maya Lin is known for her major installation works which incorporate terrainTerrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
and topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
– inspirations that assisted in the creation of Above and Below. After years of struggling with the balcony space and lack of topographical landscaping in central Indiana, Lin received a suggestion from an assistant from Indiana stating that "there isn't that much above ground, but did you realize there are these incredibly long underground river systems?" Lin decided to create an underground river system out of wire
Wire
A wire is a single, usually cylindrical, flexible strand or rod of metal. Wires are used to bear mechanical loads and to carry electricity and telecommunications signals. Wire is commonly formed by drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Standard sizes are determined by various...
, despite telling the IMA she was creating a landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
of rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
. Lin and her team researched the Bluespring Caverns
Bluespring Caverns
Bluespring Caverns is a cave system located in Lawrence County, Indiana, approximately 80 miles south of Indianapolis. The cave system is a karst and river type cave formation and drains a 15 miles² sinkhole plain...
, the Lost River
Lost River (Indiana)
The Lost River is a river that rises in Vernon Township, Washington County, Indiana, and discharges into the East Fork of the White River in Lost River Township, Martin County, Indiana...
, and the White River
White River (Indiana)
The White River is a two-forked river that flows through central and southern Indiana and is the main tributary to the Wabash River. Via the west fork, considered to be the main stem of the river by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, the White River is long.-West Fork:The West Fork, long, is...
. Lin visited the Caverns and worked with U.S. Geological Survey scientists who created an ultrasound
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...
map of the tributaries for the artist. The sculpture seeks to "recreate the experience and feeling" of the underwater landscapes through use of various thickness of wire. Three-fifths of the artwork depict the Bluespring Cavern with the last two sections depicting what is beneath the water level
Water level
Water level or gage height or stage is the elevation of the free surface of a stream, lake or reservoir relative to a specified datum ....
in the cave.
Creation
Above and Below was fabricated at Walla Walla Foundry in Washington utilizing the bathymetric data gathered from the river bottom and cavern ceiling. Lin's studio translated the data into a collection of contour curves and then sent them to the Foundry. The aluminum tubing was carefully bent to match the computer-generated templates created by the studio then hung within the Foundry. The artwork was then disassembled and shipped to the Indianapolis Art Museum and installed in the course of a freezingFreezing
Freezing or solidification is a phase change in which a liquid turns into a solid when its temperature is lowered below its freezing point. The reverse process is melting....
cold week on the outside balcony. Lin has created other artwork installations which she describes as "drawing in space" including Where the Land Meets the Sea (2008) in the collection of the California Academy of Sciences
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is among the largest museums of natural history in the world. The academy began in 1853 as a learned society and still carries out a large amount of original research, with exhibits and education becoming significant endeavors of the museum during the twentieth...
.
Reception
Art historians at the IMA have described the piece as being easily placed within the minimalist and postminimalist tradition due to artists of those movements bringing landscape and nature into the gallery through exploration of environments on a larger scale.External links
- Above and Below from the IMA's website.
- Wide Awake in Walla Walla from the IMA's blog.