“Metonyms for the Earth by Su Yu-Xin”

# **Su Yu-Xin’s “Searching the Sky for Gold”: An Exploration of Color, Materiality, and Landscape**

## **Introduction**
In her latest exhibition, *Searching the Sky for Gold*, Taiwanese-born, Los Angeles-based artist **Su Yu-Xin** challenges conventional perceptions of color while shedding light on its material and historical significance. Currently on view at the **Orange County Museum of Art**, the exhibition highlights her research-driven practice of creating pigments derived from natural minerals, soils, and organic materials. Through this innovative approach, Su bridges the gap between subject matter and material, using colors not just as aesthetic tools, but as representations of geological and cultural narratives.

## **Rethinking Color: A Material Approach**
Su Yu-Xin’s artistic practice is deeply influenced by her training in **traditional Chinese ink painting** and **Japanese Nihonga,** both of which employ natural mineral pigments. Instead of using standard commercial paints, she gathers raw materials from **volcanic soil, natural clay, and even ocean-dwelling creatures’ exoskeletons** to create her own pigments. This approach not only adds depth to her work but also underscores the **historical, environmental, and political** significance of the materials she employs.

Her *2020 essay, “A Color Study Leading Towards Materialism,”* explores the concept that color is not merely an applied surface feature but an inherent property of materials. She elaborates on how specific mineral-based pigments change **saturation and chroma** over time, emphasizing their fluid and evolving nature.

## **The Politics of Landscape and Industrialization**
One of the exhibition’s standout works, **”With or Without the Sun #3 (Coastal Road on the East Side of Taiwan),”** contrasts **Taiwan’s Suhua Highway**—a treacherous path carved into mountains by **Indigenous laborers under colonial rule**—with **Los Angeles’ naturally eroding salt caves.** The comparison highlights the tension between **human industry and natural evolution**, showing how landforms adapt, either through labor-intensive interventions or natural erosion over centuries.

Similarly, **”Salt Caves (California Coastline)”** references geological transformations, as sea caves are gradually shaped by **tidal forces and salt deposits**. These works invite viewers to contemplate how both **natural disasters and human activities** shape the landscapes we inhabit.

## **Natural Events and Their Pigments**
A compelling example of Su’s material exploration is **”A Detonation, and the Time It Spent with the World (Atomic Bomb Test, New Mexico).”** This painting depicts the world’s first **nuclear explosion** using pigments such as **cinnabar** (a powdered mercury sulfide traditionally used in Chinese art) and **realgar** (a toxic arsenic sulfide mineral). These toxic, highly reactive pigments metaphorically replicate the devastating energy of the event they depict. Su’s incorporation of hazardous minerals underscores the **lasting environmental and political consequences** of industrial and technological advancements.

Similarly, **”A Blue-and-Green Landscape in Rain”** revisits the ancient Chinese pigment **”qinglu”** (blue-green), historically used in Taoist and Buddhist art. The carefully selected minerals in this piece not only reference healing traditions but also illustrate how color perception changes across **time, geography, and cultural contexts**.

## **Art as a Conversation Between Time and Space**
Su’s works act as **portals between places and histories**. By mixing materials from **Los Angeles, Taiwan, New Mexico, and beyond**, she constructs a dialogue between **natural cycles, colonial histories, and contemporary industrial transformations**. The mineral-based pigments—some of which decay over time—further enforce the idea that **color and materials are living entities**, constantly shifting and evolving.

## **Conclusion: Rethinking Color Beyond CMYK**
Su Yu-Xin’s *Searching the Sky for Gold* urges audiences to reconsider color beyond the conventional **CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) model** used in modern printing. By grounding her pigments in natural **mineral and biological sources**, she connects her paintings to **deep time and material migration patterns**. Her approach challenges viewers to see **color as an integral part of the Earth’s history**, shaped by **both natural phenomena and human intervention**.

Through this exhibition, Su reaffirms that art is not merely about representation but about **deeply engaging with materials and their stories.** It reminds us that every hue, every shade, carries with it a history—one that is always changing, much like the landscapes that inspire her work.

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### **Exhibition Information**
📍 **Su Yu-Xin: Searching the Sky for Gold**
📅 **On view until May 25, 2024**
📍 **Orange County Museum of Art, Costa Mesa, California**

Curated by **Ziying Duan**, with contributions from **Courtenay Finn,