Coastline (sculpture)

{{Short description|Sculpture by Jim Sanborn}}

{{Italic title}}

{{about|the outdoor sculpture|the geographic feature|Coast}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox artwork

| image_file =

| image_size =

| title = Coastline

| alt =

| artist = Jim Sanborn

| year = {{Start date|1993}}

| type = Outdoor sculpture

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| height_imperial = 6

| width_imperial = 30

| length_imperial = 75

| metric_unit = m

| imperial_unit = ft

| city = Silver Spring, Maryland

| museum =

| coordinates = {{Coord|38.991452|-77.029715|format=dms|type:landmark_region:US|display=inline|name=Coastline (sculpture)}}

| owner =

}}

Coastline is an outdoor sculpture by American artist Jim Sanborn installed at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration complex in Silver Spring, Maryland.{{cite news |first=Benjamin |last=Forgey |title=A hand, a wave, a winner; Sculptures bring out the best at NOAA complex |newspaper=Washington Post |at=Section B, p. 1 |date=November 20, 1993}}

Coastline attempts to recreate the effect of waves crashing on the Atlantic coast (represented by rough-cut granite).{{cite news |first=Joanna |last=Shaw-Eagle |title=Artist sheds new light on sculpture |newspaper=Washington Times |at=Part D, p. 1 |date=June 1, 1997}} 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.{{cite web |url=http://elonka.com/kryptos/sanborn/coastline.html |first=Elonka |last=Dunin |title=Sanborn's Coastline Sculpture |accessdate=February 8, 2011}} Sanborn built a quarter-size scale model of the sculpture and consulted with a wave engineer while doing research for the project.