A good golf swing (so I’m told, since I have no firsthand knowledge of same) has a lot to do with balance. In baseball (thinking spring here, still snowing today) we watch each batter before each pitch go through his balance ritual: shifting weight, adjusting grip, aligning shoulders, arms, wrists, hands. Off balance doesn’t connect with a 90 plus mph fast ball.
In law, balance also has its key role. The scales of Themis and Lady Justice symbolize law, justice and order going back to ancient Greece and Rome.
Constitutional law is filled with balance: checks and balances, balancing tests, balances of power, equal justice, equal protection. In fact, every branch of law, civil and criminal, contains principles and questions of balance. Does the punishment fit the crime? Is the penalty in balance with the offense? Was the employer’s action for just cause? Judges and arbitrators “weigh” evidence. Credibility of witnesses often comes down to weighing what is said on this side of the issue versus what is said on that side of the issue. Law and facts don’t speak for themselves. They involve striking the right balance to yield the right result.
So too in visual art, balance is a big player. In the next few blog posts, we’ll take a closer look at balance.
