Scale



toc **Scale (Male and Female)**

Turnip, grasshopper, plastic, feather, magnolia, ink, resin, wheat.

= **Egyptian Mythology: The Feather Test** =

The feather is a very common Egyptian symbol and can be seen very frequently in Egyptian painting and art since the pharaoh also wore it. This was the feather that adorned a goddess Maat; it was a common belief of the Egyptians that this feather was weighed against the heart of a person after he or she died. If the heart weighed more than the feather, the heart was filled with sins and as a punishment the owner was devoured by Ammit, but if the heart was lighter than the feather it was free of sins and the person had access to the world of Osiris. The Feather of Maat stood for morality, stability, balance, and justice and this is the reason the Pharaoh wore it. When a pharaoh died it was imperative to choose a successor immediately as the belief was that, in the absence of a pharaoh to bear it, the feather would get lost and the world would be tossed into pandemonium.

=** Image: Book of the Dead, The Feather Test **= This is a picture from the Egyptian book of the dead. A person's heart is weighed on the scales of Maat by the god Anubis.

-Uploaded by Steven Shen _ =﻿Analysis: by Sara Stamatiades=

When I was looking at //Scale,// I noticed that the scale and the heart seemed to be about the same weight. It is known that if the heart is heavier than the feather, then the persons life was filled with sin and therefore deserves future punishment. It is also known that if the heart is lighter than the feather, he/she has the ability to enter Osiris. But, none of the sources I saw said anything about if the heart equaled the feather: so the outcome of this situation is uncertain. Perhaps the uncertainty of the heart equaling the feather represents the uncertainty and mysterious view of death. Death is a part of life, which fits into the theme of Imago, but we all have to face it alone. //Scale// symbolizes the mystery of death that everyone will someday have to face.

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=**Analysis/ Photo: Ian Duffy**=

When you look at the angle of the arms in //Scale//, you notice the female arms are leaning toward the heart, showing it is heavier than the feather. The male arms indicate they are equal. This could relate to Adam and Eve or the notion that man is superior to woman. In the image of blind justice farther down, it is mentioned that the image is used constantly in the United States Government and relates to the Egyptian Scale. In fact, the image of the blind justice with the scale and sword refers to the Greek Titan Themis, the embodiment of divine order, law, and custom.



=﻿**Image: Symbolism - Laura Fleming**= This image symbolizes the differenciating views of men and women. For me, it helps explain why Ben Timpson's //Scale// has two beings each holding the scale at different levels. I think it backs up the fact that men and women don't see eye-to-eye on many things. -Laura Fleming

=﻿Image: Symbolism - Jason Wan= This image depicts Blind Justice. This image is constantly used by the United States judicial system. It represents how the facts should dictate a person's fate. Similar to the Egyptian way of thinking. You are judged by your life's actions and nothing else affects The Scale. =Analysis: CJ Shepard= In this piece, the male and female work in harmony to create a final work. This is similar to the story of creation from the bible. The man and the woman work together and coexist to create a perfect environment. The scale in the piece shows the perfect balance in which this is exemplified.

=﻿Scale by Shel Silverstein=

If I could only see the scale, I'm sure that it would state That I've lost ounces...maybe pounds Or even //tons// of weight. "You'd better eat some pancakes -- You're skinny as a rail." I'm sure that's what the scale would say... If I could see the scale. This poem may not immediately connect with the peice of art, "Scale", but when you look closer at the picture, it seems to represent balancing health and wealth. There are so many aspects of life, and "Scale" by Ben Timpson gives us a small insight into the carefulness of balancing all of it. There are two sides to the artwork, which is very different from the poem because it only focuses on one subject. Written by Ellison Brown

=Zodiac Sign: Libra= Timpson's work greatly resembles the Libra Zodiac sign. Its symbol is the balanced scales. According to Zodiac texts, Librans are considered the most elegant people which is clearly visible in Timpson's flowing depiction of both the male and the female. The goddess that corresponds to Libra is Venus, as seen in the Imago front piece, Birth of Venus. -Chad Gallati

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In "Scale" Timpson has presented the beauty of balance. According to Newton's third law if motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The same can be said for simple elements of nature and emotion. There is light to balance the dark, water to balance fire and good to balance evil. To complete the idea of balance Timpson creates the vision of both a man and a woman. The body language of them both gives off a dance-like vibe. In the picture below, the male and female dancer use balance to create a finished product in the form of dance just as the man an woman in "Scale" use balance to create harmony.
 * Balance Is An Art**

= http://billingsgazette.com/entertainment/enjoy/image_463d0e90-116b-5301-9ee3-3daf67d00707.html = Posted by: Gaylyn Singletary