I have chosen the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus. Daedalus, an inventor, made wings of wax and feathers for his son Icarus. He told Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, or his wings would melt. But Icarus did not listen; the warmth of the sun melted his wings and so he plummeted into the sea. I selected this myth because it is one of my favorite Greek myths with a lesson about the risks of being over ambitious by trying to reach the unattainable. It serves as a reminder to not “fly too close to the sun”, and instead to appreciate what you have and to be reasonable. I also thought that the story would translate well for this project due to the imagery of the sun, water and wings. The key moment I have chosen to depict is the moment where Icarus’ wings melt and he falls into the sea. This climax of the story is a dramatic moment that artists have depicted over centuries to capture the story, so I am eager to create my own rendition of this scene with found objects. However, in my diorama, I have included a large hand reaching out from the sea grabbing on and catching Icarus the moment he touches the son. This hand could be interpreted as Icarus’ father, Daedalus, saving Icarus from his death, which is symbolic of the paternal love and support for their children, especially in moments of failure.
