Intermedial Practices in Maya Lin’s Art and Architecture

Abstract

The conception, execution and reproduction processes in art and architecture, which use several media at the same time, lead to the emergence of interaction and dialogues between and within media. From the interdisciplinary perspective, the nature of the relations between two media is the subject of intermedia studies. Intermedial relations draw attention to the convergence of different forms and the production of new meanings in this process, simultaneously. In this sense, the present study focuses on the forms, concepts and practices of intermediality through American architect and artist Maya Lin’s works and creative process. Having placed her own works on the dualities such as science and art, art and architecture, public and private, east and west, and the dividing line between them, Maya Lin's works and design process, in this context, are productive and worth examining. The nature of intermedial creations has been investigated through different media forms such as text, sketch, model, drawing and book; and the epistemology of intermedial practices has been examined through the concepts and practices of reading and writing. As a result of this study, it is showed that intermediality as a tool can be used in constructing new meanings and uncovering new research questions in art and architecture studies, as well as the emergence of different art forms.