This is contemporary take on the myth of Icarus whose father made him a pair of wax & feather wings so he could fly and escape his imprisonment… but not heeding his fathers advice to not fly near the sun during a trial, Icarus did and his wings melted off and he plunged to his death.

It took much research and trials to come up with a ‘convincing’ design for today’s athlete who is out to escape the physical limits of mortal man by using inhumane methods of body alteration to get the advantage over competitors… all in the name of world recognition, fame and a sense of power… although often disguised by truisms like “I liked the challenge” or “we’re pushing the boundaries in the name of science and humanity”.
Here Icarus has had surgical implants to enable his wings to be driven by his body’s diverted blood pressure system connected to pistons which drive the wings. This leaves his hands free for balance, carrying gear etc.

Perhaps the very thing we strive for is the very thing that holds us back in our true human quest for meaning and significance.

This is the first part of a diptych. The second is the “white board” display of the aftermath of this failed attempt to get off the ground… with a full analysis of what worked, what didn’t and the appeal by the Project Manager to gain more funding from the Corporate sponsor.

I’ll try to put it up if anyone’s interested, but it is detailed and pretty hard to see on screen.