The Children of Icarus: Painting Statement

Draft #1
The Children of Icarus: Discovering New Worlds

In the ancient Greek myth Icarus, the son of the inventor and artist Deadalus who invented wings for himself and his son in order to escape from Crete, disobeyed his father to see how high he could possibly fly. Of course the wax melted as Icarus flew up towards the sun causing his wings to melt off thus falling and drowning in the sea.  Classical authorities like to say Icarus was only doing a stunt, a flight of fancy.  I, however, believe he was pushing his father’s theories to the breaking point in order to discover and set new boundaries. With this painting I am loosely using this myth to symbolically represent man’s desire to discover new worlds, ideas, and cultures which also includes discovering new forms of botanical specimens, animal life and the riches that these new worlds offer. The sea is the symbol, the metaphor for all who are seeking new worlds.

Though Icarus had no children (he was only a boy of 15 when he died) he is the symbol for inquisitiveness of the creative mind which is always pushing boundaries. For me, THE CHILDREN OF ICARUS: Discovering New Worlds is a metaphor, a navigational treasure map for those who are asking questions, experimenting with new concepts and are pushing boundaries to sail into prescient unknown territories.

Draft #2
The Children of Icarus: Discovering New Worlds

This is a painting loosely representing an ancient navigational map. Through sea voyages man has always set out to discover new worlds pushing the known boundaries into unknown territories.  Icarus attempted to do this and failed thus falling from the sky and drowning in the ocean.  For me, THE CHILDREN OF ICARUS: Discovering New Worlds is a metaphor, a symbol, a navigational treasure map for those who are asking questions, experimenting with new concepts and are pushing safe boundaries to sail into the prescient unknown.

Draft #3
The Children of Icarus: Discovering New Worlds

This is a painting loosely representing an ancient navigational map. Through sea voyages man has always set out to discover new worlds pushing the known boundaries into unknown territories.  Icarus attempted to do this and failed thus falling from the sky and drowning in the ocean. Water is the symbol of life, for the unknown, for rebirth, for discovery.  For me, THE CHILDREN OF ICARUS: Discovering New Worlds is a metaphor, a symbol, a navigational treasure map for those who are asking questions, experimenting with new concepts and are pushing safe boundaries to sail into the prescient unknown.