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Essay / Reasons Maya Lin's Vietnam Veterans Memorial Won the Landmarks Committee Competition
The Landmarks Committee competition Maya Lin won with her design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial included 1,400 anonymous entries . After 21-year-old Maya Lin's Asian identity was revealed, her design faced widespread backlash and discrimination. Nevertheless, Maya Lin managed to capture the hearts of the judges and thousands of Americans; Not only was its Vietnam Veterans Memorial installed, but it is also the most visited monument in Washington DC. Lin won the hearts of many by designing a non-political and deeply personal memorial. Lin's design included more than 58,000 names of those who served in the Vietnam War, printed on black granite; the black granite provides a reflective surface which creates an illusion and, although all the names have been written individually, there is a strong and powerful sense of unity within the monument. Additionally, it is beautiful to see how Lin created a monument that allowed those who were left behind to come to terms with the death of their loved ones by creating a monument that literally seems to rise out of the earth and provide a peaceful place where people can think. no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essay Maya Lin's design is different from many other war monuments that depict powerful soldiers and historical figures; these designs provide a powerful but public and general feeling that lacks intimacy. On the contrary, Lin's design overwhelms the person observing it, taking them on a chronological journey that allows the viewer to feel the tranquility of the design; it is a monument of intimacy and power. In Lin's one-page presentation for her design, she emphasizes the purpose of her monument by explaining that the monument focuses on all of the men and women who died in the war rather than on a single person , which makes the monument very personal. but also a place where everyone can accept in peace the loss of their loved one and with themselves. Works CitedBlackstone, A.M. (1993). Another type of memorial. Smithsonian, 24(2), 86-97. Finkel, J. (1984). The winning design. The Washington Post Magazine, 8(17), 22-27. Hagen, C. (1987). The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Controversy: A Timeline of Events (CRS Report for Congress). Hynes, S. (1989). The Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Daedalus, 118(1), 1-16.Jan Scruggs and Joel Swerdlow, To Heal a Nation: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (New York: Harper & Row, 1985).Lin, M. (1989). Borders: a cultural topography. New York: Simon and Schuster. Lin, M. (2000). Borders. New York: Simon & Schuster. Lin, M. (2013). Maya Lin: A Clear and Strong Vision (documentary). Loughry, E. (2007). A Quiet, Thoughtful Presence: The Unlikely Triumph of Maya Lin's Vietnam Veterans Memorial. McFarland. Tull, J. (1994). The long journey home: understanding and healing the wounds of war. Paulist Press.