Episode 216: Balance and Order (3)

In the previous episode, we mentioned that different artworks exhibit a so-called state of balance. Robert Indiana’s piece, American Dream, features four complete circles distributed at the corners, showcasing a strong sense of order. Another artwork by Bridget Riley, Current, presents a state resembling air currents or sound waves, embodying a randomness infused with order. The third piece, Homage to the Square by Josef Albers, consists of four squares arranged from distant to near, expressed with varying shades of color. The fourth artwork, Buffalo by Rosenberg, is a modern collage that is both casually composed and orderly.
The works mentioned so far are Western, but Eastern art also has similar pieces, such as Fan Kuan’s Travelers among Mountains and Streams, which features a central axis line starting a third of the way up the mountain. This is precisely what makes the painting remarkable. However, the composition of Eastern and Western art differs, with each side emphasizing different philosophical aspects. Thus, their definitions of balance also vary.