Civic Center in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Sounding Stones
Maya Lin
Photographed By Larry Gertner, September 4, 2011
1. Sounding Stones Marker
Maya Lin
Sounding Stones, 1996
Norwegian pearl granite blocks
6’ square by various lengths
Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse
New York NY
Sounding Stones consists of four six-foot square granite blocks of various lengths and contours on top. Each contains an inverted water fountain and has a viewing circle on two sides which permits seeing through all for cubes simultaneously. The size, location and shape of the blocks reflect the artist’s concern with the notion of place, point of view and the contrast between artificial and natural, public and private. Maya Lin’s Sounding Stones draws on Chinese philosophy and aesthetics. It is a contemporary, minimalist interpretation of the scholar’s rock garden.
Maya Lin is known for her site-specific art installation projects. Her sculptural work focuses on an investigation of nature. She views the natural world through the lens of technology. from aerial satellite views to microscopic images, she presents new ways of seeing the world around us. A love and respect for natural phenomena and landscape run through all of Maya Lin’s work.
Commissioned by the Art in Architecture Program of the U.S. General Services Administration
Erected 1996
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music. A significant historical year for this entry is 1996.
Location. 40° 42.836′ N, 74° 0.066′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in Civic Center. Marker can be reached from Worth Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: New York NY 10007, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. New York County Court House (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Foley Square Before 1600 (about 400 feet away); Patrick Cardinal Hayes (about 400 feet away); Triumph of the Human Spirit (about 500 feet away); First National Sunday School Convention (about 500 feet away); Foley Square c. 1880 (about 500 feet away); Thomas Paine Park (about 600 feet away); In the Future Our Asian Community Is Safe (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.
More about this marker. The marker/sculpture is in the plaza between the New York State Supreme Court and the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse buildings in Foley Square.
Also see . . . Maya Lin at Wikipedia. (Submitted on March 8, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed By Larry Gertner, March 3, 2019
2. Sounding Stones
The Moynihan Courthouse to the left. The marker is on the building wall near the furthest stone.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 25, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 8, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 470 times since then and 110 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 8, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
