The son of master craftsman Daedelus, Icarus was fashioned wings of wax and feathers by his father. Despite being warned not to fly too close to the sun to avoid its heat, Icarus was overcome by the powerful sensation that flying had afforded him. Soaring wildly and carelessly, Icarus realized too late the wisdom of Daedelus’ advice. The sun had melted his delicate wings and he fell to his death, drowning in the unrelenting ocean now called the Icarian sea, named to serve as an eternal reminder of his tragic fate.
Isobel Francisco now memorializes the proverb in her new collection of stunning visual pieces that will exhibit her ever-evolving artistic maturity in her latest exhibit, titled “Icarus Smicarus,” at art space Vinyl on Vinyl.
The catalyst for Iso’s collection was Mclusky’s “Icarus Smicarus.” A song as nasty, brutish, and short as the humanity it addresses, she transforms it into a fitting social commentary on contemporary life.
“The mythical character Icarus serves as a cautionary tale,” says Iso. The tension between our prominence and pettiness in the grand scheme of the universe became Iso’s driving force. “We are a scientific marvel and yet we remain, in the larger sense, insignificant. We struggle with this knowledge versus our innate desire to rise above ourselves and to explore the why’s of our being. What else could we do in such a short amount of time we have but to set ourselves on fire?”
Experience Isobel Francisco’s visual narratives on hubris and everyday life on June 19 to 30 at Vinyl on Vinyl Gallery, The Collective, 7274 Malugay Street, Makati.
