The Science of Balance – Our Approach to Composition

The Science of Balance – Our Approach to Composition

What makes a piece of art feel right? Why does one shape calm the eye while another disrupts it? At Olshbau, we design every object—whether a cardboard sculpture, minimalist wall piece, or painted form—with these questions in mind. Our approach to composition is as much about feeling as it is about structure. It’s where science meets aesthetics. And in this delicate tension, we find balance.

What Is Balance in Art?

Balance in visual art refers to the way elements are arranged to create a sense of stability. Traditionally, balance is categorized as:

• Symmetrical – like the axial harmony of a butterfly or a cathedral facade.

• Asymmetrical – where different elements balance each other through visual weight rather than mirroring.

• Radial – where all elements radiate from a central point, like a star or mandala.

But in our work, balance isn’t a rulebook. It’s a dialogue between geometry, material, and color.

Suprematism, Bauhaus, and the Ghost in the Grid

Our compositions are deeply influenced by early 20th-century avant-garde movements—especially Suprematism and the Bauhaus. Kazimir Malevich’s radical Black Square taught us that a simple shape could be seismic. László Moholy-Nagy believed that the arrangement of space could carry as much meaning as content. From them, we inherited a certain boldness: to subtract, to reduce, to construct with intention.

The Bauhaus grid, often invisible, guides many of our pieces. It’s not a constraint—it’s a scaffold. As Paul Klee, one of the Bauhaus masters, once said:

“Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible.”

We aim to make balance visible.

Our Process: From Draft to Relief

We start with sketches—sometimes digital, often analogue—testing how masses of color and form respond to each other. We lay out cardboard cutouts on the floor or pin shapes to a wall, shifting and rotating until a kind of inner stillness emerges.

Then we transfer the composition to sturdier materials: layers of recycled cardboard, birch plywood, or hand-textured paper. We use acrylic paints with saturated pigments to achieve a visual tension between flatness and depth.

Every angle is considered. Negative space isn’t just leftover—it’s a player in the scene. A red square near the bottom left must be answered by a smaller triangle at the top right. Sometimes we spend hours nudging elements by millimeters. But when balance clicks, you feel it in your chest.

Visual Weight: Our Invisible Language

Why does a thick black line feel “heavier” than a pale blue one, even if they’re the same size? Why does a circle soothe, while a jagged form energizes?

These perceptions form the basis of what artists call visual weight. At Olshbau, we use it as our grammar. A bold stroke can anchor a piece. A burst of white space might let the whole thing breathe.

We don’t believe in chaos. But neither do we worship symmetry. Our goal is dynamic equilibrium—something that feels alive, but poised.

Why It Matters

In an era of visual noise, we crave clarity. Our minimalist compositions are meant to offer that—a visual pause, a moment of coherence. When you hang an Olshbau piece, you’re not just decorating a wall. You’re inviting balance into your space.

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Explore the Balance

Curious to see how this theory becomes tangible form? Browse our latest collection of sculptural wall art and experience the science of balance in motion.