Tung Nguyen: Balance Artist (Bill Viola)

These are 2 still shots of "The Crossing" by Bill Viola. On the left, a figure was engulfed by flame. On the right, the same figure was disappearing into pouring water. The concept of balance is presented through opposite concepts that each alone is an extreme that can only be balanced by one of the other extreme. Left - right, fire - water, red - blue, warm - cool, hot - cold, bottom - top, and so on. The viewer can even sense the artist's desire for moderation, for compromise, and the message that the extremes are what harming us (burnt by fire or washed away by water) and we need a common ground to survive.