Coastline (sculpture)
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| Coastline | |
|---|---|
| Artist | Jim Sanborn |
| Year | 1993 |
| Type | Outdoor sculpture |
| Dimensions | 1.8 m × 9.1 m × 23 m (6 ft × 30 ft × 75 ft) |
| Location | Silver Spring, Maryland |
| 38°59′29″N 77°01′47″W / 38.991452°N 77.029715°W | |
Coastline is an outdoor sculpture by American artist Jim Sanborn installed at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration complex in Silver Spring, Maryland.[1]
Coastline attempts to recreate the effect of waves crashing on the Atlantic coast (represented by rough-cut granite).[2] This is achieved with artificial waves generated by a turbine and pneumatic blower underneath the sculpture. The wave frequency is controlled by a remote tide gauge in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, that sends actual wave heights to the sculpture's control mechanism in real time.[3] Sanborn built a quarter-size scale model of the sculpture and consulted with a wave engineer while doing research for the project.[2]