In the Beginning – Michael Yu
Statement
In the Beginning is an abstract mixed-media installation consisting of a 26-page color book and an animated video projection of roughly 140,000 colored squares. I have a specific kind of synesthesia wherein I associate letters of the alphabet with colors (e.g., the letter A is always red), and this installation serves as an exploration of spirituality through the lens of my synesthesia. The projection animates colored squares until the screen is filled by a complete letter-to-color translation of the Bible’s Book of Genesis. The colors of my alphabet are also printed in the accompanying book. I picked the Book of Genesis because it is a story about God creating the world and the beginning of mankind. My work explores the metaphysical notion of “everything born out of nothing,” which I communicate by animating between total darkness and an overwhelming field of color. It is important to note that I don’t view the work as specifically Christian. Genesis, for the purposes of this video projection, serves as a conduit through which one would be able to feel the mystery of our existence. I hope that upon viewing my installation, viewers will wonder about the force, God or otherwise, that brought about the creation of the universe.
Bio
Born in Houston, Texas, Michael graduates Vanderbilt University in May 2024 with a BA. He is a triple major in Computer Science, Philosophy, and Studio Art. for most of this journey at Vanderbilt’s art department, Michael worked in painting and drawing while occasionally dabbling in photography and mixed-media installation. His work is inspired by philosophical ideas and influenced formally by atists such as Pollock, Kandinsky, Rothko, and Richter. Through the use of color and minimalist shapes, Michael tries to convey a sense of the sublime in hopes that his audience will experience something bigger than themselves. Though he wasn’t raised particularly religious, Michael has always had a deep respect for religion. To him, art is profoundly spiritual, and the act o making art is an attempt to approximate the divine – God or otherwise.
