Where the Land Meets the Sea, 2008
California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco CA
Marine grade stainless steel
36’x 60’x 15’

Commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission
Photography: Colleen Chartier

The sculpture takes the form of a drawing in space based upon the topology of the San Francisco Bay in the vicinity of the Golden Gate Bridge and Angel Island. Using science and technology in her artwork to create new ways of looking at the environment, Maya Lin’s work inspires viewers to pay closer attention to the natural world. The shape of the terrain is based on data supplied by the U.S. Geological Survey, among others, and represents a 1:700 scale with a vertical exaggeration of 5-times above sea level and 10-times below. Sea level is 18 feet above the terrace and is marked on the adjacent columns. Commissioned by The San Francisco Arts Commission for the California Academy of Sciences.