ICARUS

This artwork is inspired by the myth of Icarus but the visual design is based on a shot from the beautiful trailer of 'Deus Ex: Human Revolution' (Eidos Montreal, 2011), which, alongside the track 'Icarus' by Michael McCann, are among the greatest influences of my life and art.
A tale of hubris and the consequences of arrogance, Icarus is one of the oldest of Greek myths and I think it remains, to this day, so powerful and relevant. Icarus is the son of Daedalus, the engineer behind the famous labyrinth built to trap the Minotaur. Imprisoned by King Minos on Crete, Daedalus built wings for himself and Icarus in order to fly and escape. As they did, Daedalus warned his son not to fly too close to the sun or too low by the sea, but Icarus didn't listen. As he soared higher in the sky, the sun melted his wings (which were kept together by beeswax) and fell into the sea where he drowned.
This, like so many Greek myths, is a tale about the consequences of unchecked ambition. The Gods always punish mortals who think themselves better than them.
We should always remember this story and cultivate humility, reverence and gratitude, especially as our technology and culture veer rapidly into unknown realms of ever-increasing arrogant complexity.