07/25/2024
ZT Gallery invites you to view 'Icarus, son of Daedalus' by Georgy Kurasov, on exhibit starting August 2. Don't miss out—be the first to see this stunning work of art in person!
“Icarus, the Son of Daedalus” is the painting by the talented and well-known modern artist Georgy Kurasov. It is based on a famous Greek myth about the first people flying in the sky, Daedalus and his son Icarus.
Daedalus was a mythical, outstanding inventor, sculptor and architect, who was held captive with his son Icarus on the Greek Island, Crete by King Minos. He was the first to create two sets of wings made of different feathers, ropes and wax. His genius inventions had one fault. Daedalus warned his son not to fly too low to the sea, as it would make the feathers wet and too heavy, and neither to close to the sun, as it would melt the wax and ruin the wings.
Together they flew out of their prison tower toward freedom, leaving Crete. However, Icarus soon got overexcited and forgot his father’s warning. He started flying higher and higher, until the wax started melting under the scorching sun. Soon his wings dissolved, he fell into the sea and drowned.
Georgy Kurasov depicts the tragic figure of Icarus flying between two powerful forces, the water and the sun. Kurasov emphasizes the danger of hubris or excessive pride and warns the viewers against recklessness and carelessness. The composition and the choice of colors of this masterpiece are kind of unusual for the artist. The lines and directions on the blue field on the left are pointed upward in strong joyful movement, emphasizing the greatness of the human spirit and the desire for freedom. Meanwhile coarse pointy lines on the orange right side reveal tension, despair, pain and hopelessness, leading Icarus to his tragic end.
Icarus represents human ambitions, our tendency to overestimate our abilities and take unnecessary risks, ignoring the advice of wisdom and expertise. The myth gave rise to the idiom,” don’t fly too close to the sun”, meaning that recklessness, defiance of limitations and overly ambitious actions can be harmful and destructive.
Written by Alina Vinokur in commentary of Georgy Kurasov’s “Icarus”
Georgy Kurasov Art
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