{"id":950,"date":"2024-04-25T20:23:45","date_gmt":"2024-04-25T20:23:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/art\/?page_id=950"},"modified":"2024-04-25T20:23:45","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T20:23:45","slug":"in-the-beginning-michael-yu","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/art\/in-the-beginning-michael-yu\/","title":{"rendered":"In the Beginning \u2013 Michael Yu"},"content":{"rendered":"

Statement<\/h2>\n
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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\u2019s 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 \u201ceverything born out of nothing,\u201d which I communicate by animating between total darkness and an overwhelming field of color. It is important to note that I don\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Bio<\/h2>\n
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Born in Houston, Texas, Michael graduates Vanderbilt University in May 2024 with a BA.\u00a0 He is a triple major in Computer Science, Philosophy, and Studio Art. for most of this journey\u00a0 at Vanderbilt\u2019s 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\u2019t 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 \u2013 God or otherwise.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Exhibition<\/h2>\n