ICARUS - the man who fell
I began working on some imagery based on the myth of Icarus in preparation for a teaching programme. I ended up making a complete book. The pages do not follow any narrative sequence, but they are linked by a red thread - reference to the thread that guided Theseus out of the labyrinth (which was built by Daedalus, Icarus's father).
Many of the pages are built from transfer-rubbings of photos I took in the Victoria and Albert Museum and of churches in France overlaid with paint, then drawn and collaged over. I use hand-cut stencils, freehand drawing and other bits and bobs. I hope this sequence is on-going... I certainly need to re-work a few.
The pictures here appear in no definitive order.
I began working on some imagery based on the myth of Icarus in preparation for a teaching programme. I ended up making a complete book. The pages do not follow any narrative sequence, but they are linked by a red thread - reference to the thread that guided Theseus out of the labyrinth (which was built by Daedalus, Icarus's father).
Many of the pages are built from transfer-rubbings of photos I took in the Victoria and Albert Museum and of churches in France overlaid with paint, then drawn and collaged over. I use hand-cut stencils, freehand drawing and other bits and bobs. I hope this sequence is on-going... I certainly need to re-work a few.
The pictures here appear in no definitive order.
> Click on each image to enlarge it.
Title page
Daedalus wonders what he made -
his aim to confuse,
both to imprison and set free
his aim to confuse,
both to imprison and set free
the remains of a labyrinth can be seen,
particularly when the sun is at a particular angle
particularly when the sun is at a particular angle
i'm my father's boy
lift me from the earth
oh bewilderment of wings!
you, mother, would have worried -
the cold, the rain, the heat
the cold, the rain, the heat
they looked so beautiful, rank
on rank on rank
on rank on rank
1800 revs
head spinning ...
past the cross
measured testing
the tower, the view
and so he arced them
as his father watched fixt'ly
and the boy began to fall ...
as his father watched fixt'ly
and the boy began to fall ...
the deck was suddenly covered with feathers
tumbling and pitching and the light, the light
the boat, the sea so close -
(too close, too close)
(too close, too close)
l'homme qui est tombe
fall / burn
a stone angel from the fragile 'plane flew
I remembered being earth-bound
amidst the kicking yellow
amidst the kicking yellow
... and fell
like a flock of falling starlings
But, I flew
