Balance

“One Ton Prop (House of Cards)” by Richard Serra takes balance into a new level. In this piece, there is relatively strict symmetry, along both the horizontal and vertical axis, from both looking at it from the top, and from any side. It’s also interesting to note that the shininess of the lead is balanced by some sort of white residue, visible in this image. However, there is the further balance of the fact that these giant plates are simply balanced against each other – nothing is welded or soldered together. The precariousness of this piece brings to mind a new sense of balance; perhaps that it’s a transient experience, and that the effects of balance combined with motion would be really interesting to explore.