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Lot Essay
Ayrton was concerned with relating the myth of Icarus to the human body in flight and modern day exploration of outer space. Ayrton was obesessed with the myth of Icarus, as if he were his own son. He could relate to Daedalus, the father of Icarus, who was also a sculptor and made his wings.
'At the apex of his climb, because mass is modified by its velocity, Icarus changed his form and the anatomy of this transformation obsesses me. The image I seek is a paraphrase of the human body, adapted to those unknown areas of physical experience which it will presently enter. The re-shaping of their flesh, under intense pressure, appears at once awe-inspiring and a little absurd, just as the ambition which led both to the triumph and fall of Icarus is both heroic and ridiculous.' (Exhibition catalogue, Matthiesen Gallery, Michael Ayrton: The Icarus Theme, London, 1961, pp. 1-5)
'At the apex of his climb, because mass is modified by its velocity, Icarus changed his form and the anatomy of this transformation obsesses me. The image I seek is a paraphrase of the human body, adapted to those unknown areas of physical experience which it will presently enter. The re-shaping of their flesh, under intense pressure, appears at once awe-inspiring and a little absurd, just as the ambition which led both to the triumph and fall of Icarus is both heroic and ridiculous.' (Exhibition catalogue, Matthiesen Gallery, Michael Ayrton: The Icarus Theme, London, 1961, pp. 1-5)