1 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and welcome to Steph 2 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: Whenever told your production of iHeartRadio. 3 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 2: And welcome to feminists around the world. And yeah, we're 4 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:26,600 Speaker 2: ending AAPI History Month. It is the thirtieth of May. 5 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 2: Just to twenty twenty three, just to put a timestamp, 6 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 2: because you know you may be listening ten years down 7 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:34,839 Speaker 2: the road and be like what, but yeah, for us recording, 8 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 2: it is the end of AAPI History Month. And we 9 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 2: wind in with the Chinese American artists who's been using 10 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 2: her talents to advocate for the environment and human rights 11 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:47,559 Speaker 2: issues all over the world. It is still using our 12 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 2: talent today to make powerful statements. And we are talking 13 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 2: about and celebrating the works of Maya Lynn. Lynn is 14 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 2: an architect, designer, and artists who's been designing for decades 15 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 2: and has been celebrated for her work and advocacy. As 16 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 2: one article from PBS dot org set about Lynn's journey. 17 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:06,959 Speaker 2: One of the rare few who have managed to forge 18 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 2: a path in both art and architecture, maaln is at 19 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:14,319 Speaker 2: once sculptor, architect, designer, craftsman, and thinker, says art critic 20 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 2: Michael Brinson. Since she founded her own Studio in nineteen 21 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 2: eighty six. Maya Linn has been proposing ways of thinking 22 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 2: and imagining that resist categories, genres, and borders, said Brinson, 23 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:27,959 Speaker 2: and her works have touched people in a way unprecedented 24 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 2: in contemporary art and architecture. Whether creating public or private 25 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 2: art or architectural works, Maya Linn creates places of refuge 26 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 2: and contemplation in highly publized places. She has redefined the 27 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 2: idea of monument, addressing the critical social and political issues 28 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 2: of our time, war, racism, and gender equality with her 29 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 2: highly acclaimed work. 30 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: Lynn was born in Ohio in nineteen fifty nine to 31 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 1: Henry Kwan Linn and Julia Chang Lin, who had both 32 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: immigrated from China. Both of her parents were not only educators, 33 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: but artists as well. In fact, it has been said 34 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: that Lynn's aunt, Lynn Huiyin, was known as the first 35 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 1: woman architect in modern China. Her father was the dean 36 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: of the Ohio University of Fine Arts and her mother 37 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: was professor of Literature of the same university. And as 38 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: a daughter of educators, she spent a lot of time 39 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: in her youth studying rather than playing with other children. 40 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: While she was attending high school, Lynn took courses at 41 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 1: the Ohio University and even learned to cast bronze at 42 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 1: that time. She went on to attend Yale University, where 43 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: she graduated with the bachelor's in Arts and continued with 44 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: a master's degree in architecture. 45 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 2: Right and one of her main focuses in her work 46 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,360 Speaker 2: has been on nature and environmental issues. Here's a quote 47 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 2: from her site. Nature and the environment have long been 48 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 2: a central concern for Lynn, who attended Yale University. When 49 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 2: she earned a BA in nineteen eighty one and a 50 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 2: Master's of Architecture degree in nineteen eighty six, Lynn was 51 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 2: thrust into the spotlight with as a senior at Yale, 52 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 2: she submitted the winning design in a national competition for 53 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 2: the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to be built in Washington. D 54 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 2: c Lin's art explores how we experience and relate to landscape, 55 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 2: setting up a systemic ordering of the land that is 56 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 2: tied to history, memory, time, and language. Her interest in 57 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 2: landscape has led to works influenced by topographies and geographic phenomena. 58 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 2: And another quote from the PBS article, it says, quote 59 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 2: throughout Violin's body of work is a profound respect and 60 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 2: love for the natural environment. Her interest in landscape has 61 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 2: led to works influenced by natural topographies and geologic phenomenon, 62 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 2: finding inspirations from rock formations to ice floes, water patterns, 63 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 2: solar eclips and aerial views of the Earth. Influenced by 64 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 2: the earth artists of the sixties and seventies, Linn brings 65 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 2: a very contemporary perspective to the theme of landscape by 66 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 2: merging the rational order of high technology with the transcendental 67 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 2: and irregular forms of nature. 68 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: And it was at the age of twenty one that 69 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: Lynn designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as a class project, 70 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: and though she had one out of fourteen hundred other submissions, 71 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: she faced a lot of controversy and criticism. Here's a 72 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: quote about her project and the criticism. Her striking proposal, 73 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: a vwshaped wall of blackstone etched with the names of 74 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: fifty eight thousand dead soldiers, beat out the submissions of 75 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: fourteenenty twenty other entrants. She encountered ferocious criticism when her 76 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: unconventional design was selected. And here's another quote. Her winning 77 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,279 Speaker 1: design was initially controversial for several reasons. Its minimalist design, 78 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 1: her lack of professional experience, and her Asian ethnicity. According 79 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,719 Speaker 1: to one writer quote, some viewed her selection as an affront. 80 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 1: They could not understand how a woman, a youth, and 81 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: a Chinese American could design a memorial for men, for soldiers, 82 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: and for Americans. Some objected to the exclusion of the 83 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 1: surviving veteran's names, while others complained about the dark complexion 84 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: of the granite, claiming that it expressed a negative attitude 85 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: towards the Vietnam War. 86 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 2: Yeah, and apparently this was a blind interest. And she 87 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 2: has said before that it if it had not been 88 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 2: for that, she probably would not have won. And here's 89 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 2: what she had to say about the memorial, and it's 90 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 2: from her site. One of my classmates had seen the 91 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:12,599 Speaker 2: poster for a competition for the design of a Vietnam 92 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 2: Veterans memorial, and since we had just completed an assignment 93 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,479 Speaker 2: for the design of a memorial to World War IIE, 94 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:21,719 Speaker 2: we chose to end this class with this project. In 95 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 2: researching for the World War assignment, I had noticed how 96 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:28,039 Speaker 2: war memorials often focused on the victor rather than on 97 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 2: the individual soldiers' lives. Until the memorials to World War 98 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 2: One in Europe. Those monuments were created listing all the 99 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 2: names of soldiers lost in the battles. The use of 100 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 2: identification tags had not yet been introduced, and with the 101 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:43,600 Speaker 2: onset of modern warfare, there was no way to recognize 102 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:46,279 Speaker 2: and identify so many of the soldiers. So many of 103 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:48,720 Speaker 2: the monuments were erected to the missing, with all the 104 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 2: names of those killed that listed. I was struck by 105 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 2: how emotionally powerful they were, and I knew that I 106 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 2: wanted to create a work that would focus as well 107 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 2: on the individuals. On seeing the site in Washington, d C. 108 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 2: Over thanks gaping break, I had an impulse to cut 109 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 2: open the earth. I imagine cutting into the earth and 110 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 2: polishing its open sides like a geode. We had also 111 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 2: just received the guidelines for the competition, which stipulated that 112 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:12,840 Speaker 2: the names of those killed be listed and that the 113 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:16,599 Speaker 2: memorial be a political and contemplative in nature. My design 114 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:21,040 Speaker 2: evolved into two black granite walls placed below grade, engraved 115 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 2: in chronological order with the names of the men and 116 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 2: women who gave their lives in the Vietnam War. At 117 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 2: the apex where the two walls joined, the dates nineteen 118 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,560 Speaker 2: fifty nine and nineteen seventy three marking the beginning and 119 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 2: end of the war meet, thus closing the circle of 120 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:38,039 Speaker 2: the time span of the war. Avarian confined his or 121 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 2: her own time on the wall, and all visitors would 122 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 2: be able to see themselves reflected in the names. I 123 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 2: wanted the memorial to create a private and personal connection 124 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:50,159 Speaker 2: with each viewer to those names. The memorial sighting is 125 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:52,799 Speaker 2: directly related to the presence of both the Lincoln Memorial 126 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:57,039 Speaker 2: and Washington Monument, tying the three together physically and historically. 127 00:06:57,440 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 2: The semester ended, and I decided to enter the design 128 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 2: in the actual competition that spring, not because I had 129 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:04,719 Speaker 2: any thought it could win, but because I wanted to 130 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 2: say something about making this memorial personal, human and focused 131 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,680 Speaker 2: on the individual experience. I wanted to honestly present that 132 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 2: time and reflect upon our relationship to war and to loss. 133 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, but the memorial wasn't her only notable works. She 134 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: also designed the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, am Obama, 135 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 1: the Peach Chapel at Pennsylvania's Juniata College, the Women's Table 136 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 1: at Yale, and the Langston Hughes Library in Clinton, Tennessee. 137 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: But art and architecture haven't been the only thing she 138 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: has been working on. She has served as advisor on 139 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: Sustainable Energy Use and served as a board member for 140 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: the National Resources Defense Council, and her works have earned 141 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 1: her many accolades, including being awarded the National Medal of 142 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 1: Arts by President Obama in two thousand and nine and 143 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in twenty sixteen. 144 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:56,239 Speaker 2: Right, And if you want to learn more of her work, 145 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 2: she has both a book and an Academy Award winning documentary. 146 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 2: You can catch the book titled Boundaries, which she did, right, 147 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 2: and the documentary titled Maya Lynn A Strong Clear Vision 148 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 2: that was from nineteen ninety four, I believe, so it's 149 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 2: a little outdated, but obviously she has a lot of 150 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 2: amazing works out there. And in twenty twenty two, the 151 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 2: Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery exhibited the first biographical exhibit titled 152 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 2: One Life Maya Linn, which was dedicated to her works 153 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 2: and her contributions. Yeah, so she obviously is still getting 154 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 2: a lot of recognition. She's still doing a lot of work. 155 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 2: They are just recent projects that she's completed that they're 156 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 2: still writing about it. I believe one of them was 157 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:35,439 Speaker 2: like her final project, but then she ended up doing 158 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:38,320 Speaker 2: another one so I'm sure there's much much more out there. 159 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:41,200 Speaker 1: I feel like that's the way. Your question is the end, 160 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 1: and then wait a minute, called I'm called to do Yes. Well, 161 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: I'm sure we'll be checking back in in the meantime. 162 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 1: As always, listeners, if you have a suggestion for this 163 00:08:55,480 --> 00:09:00,040 Speaker 1: segment or anything. Any of our segments are episodes. We 164 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: have so many things going on. You can email us 165 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 1: at Stephania mom Stuff at iHeartMedia dot com. You can 166 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:07,719 Speaker 1: find us on Twitter at mom Stuff podcast, or on 167 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:10,439 Speaker 1: Instagram and TikTok at stuff one. Never told you. We're 168 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:12,839 Speaker 1: also on YouTube. We have a book you can pre 169 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 1: order a stuff you should read books dot com. No 170 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: Academy award yet, We'll see Thanks as always too, our 171 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:28,320 Speaker 1: super producer Christina, our executive producer Maya, and our contributor Joey. 172 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:31,080 Speaker 1: Thank you all, and thanks to you for listening. Steffan 173 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:33,319 Speaker 1: never told you this production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts 174 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 1: from my Heart Radio, you can check out the iHeart 175 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple podcast wherever you listen to your favorite shows.