In classical mythology, Daedalus is a craftsman who is known for building a labyrinth for King Minos to hold a beast called the minotaur. In trying to escape the labyrinth, Daedalus made wings for himself and his son, Icarus. As they tried to escape the labyrinth, Icarus flew too close to the sun and melted the wax on his wings causing him to fall out of the sky. The story of Daedalus showcases the developments, motivations, and philosophies of the artist. It allows us to understand the trials and tribulations that creative people endure and also sheds light on motivations behind an artist’s work. Daedalus is a unique character because he is not a hero, but he is still noble and creative. Daedalus teaches us the benefits and detriments of being a creative person and his philosophies are still relevant in society today.
Jacqueline Carcagno is a painter and owner of Daedalus Art Gallery located in Savannah, Georgia. We recently spoke over zoom and discussed what drew her to name her business after Daedalus and to get her thoughts on thoughts on bringing classical names to modern times.
Image courtesy of Daedalus Gallery website
(https://www.daedalusgallery.com/)
Gabriele Lusser Rico writes “the Daedalus story embodies the universal human impulse toward making art”. The myth of Daedalus illuminates the developments, motivations, and philosophies of the artist which has led many modern artists identify strongly with Daedalus and his craftsmanship and passion for creating. Like Daedalus, for many artists art is considered to come naturally to them and is used as a way shed light on the way they view the world and the problems we face as a society. Jacqueline is not only the owner and curator of Daedalus Art Gallery, she also fills its walls with her very own paintings in which she is expressing her passions and craftsmanship.
For centuries, we have seen classical myths being brought to life through plays, movies, books, art, and even in everyday life through the names of businesses. However, the most common myths that are displayed are those of gods and heroes. This makes the myth of Daedalus so unique because he is not a hero, but his myth still lives on today. There are many scholars studying how and why Daedalus is still such a prevalent mythological name. Michael Putnam is one of these scholars, and he believes Daedalus’ art is inventive and that there is a deeper part to his inventions that reflect modern society’s ideals. This further connects to the fact that the myths centered around Daedalus are not solely about inventing and art but what it truly means to be an artist. Therefore, Daedalus’ noble and creative philosophies still live on today.
“Lightness in Savanah” courtesy of Jacqueline Carcagno
It is believed that the story of Daedalus shows us the benefits and detriments of what it means to be a creative person. This is clearly seen in the story of Daedalus and his son Icarus. Through reflecting on both characters represented in the myth it has been seen that many artists identify with either Daedalus or Icarus. In analyzing both of these characters it is seen that each personality type comes with its own pros and cons. Those who identify with Icarus tend to be very ambitious even to a fault, as seen in the myth where he flies too high, and his ambition ends up harming him. However, ambition isn’t all bad, it can lead to an artist not being afraid to try new things which could potentially lead them to open the doors to new ideas and discoveries. Those identifying with Daedalus often see themselves as problem solvers who passionately work towards enlightening society. Scholars even described Daedalus as a “man passionately devoted to what today would be called the solution to problems” (Steven Dedijer 2047). However, being a “problem solver” also has its downfalls such as getting stuck in a “one track mindset” which could prevent you from moving forward.
“The Market in Apt, Luberon, Provence” courtesy of Jacqueline Carcagno
Daedalus is unique. He is noble and creative. Daedalus teaches us about being a creative person and his philosophies are still relevant in society today. Whether you define yourself as a Daedalus or an Icarus, the philosophies surrounding Daedalus’ myths are continuing to influence society’s perspective on the modern artist. It shows us the freedom and effortlessness of creating as well as pitfalls that creating can lead you to. It is likely that the story of Daedalus will continue to teach and inspire artists just like Jacqueline for centuries to come.
We would like to give a big thank you to Jacqueline for interviewing with us for this podcast and helping us out. We hope you learned something or were perhaps inspired by this article and this podcast. Thank you!
Works Cited:
Dedijer, Stevan. “Why Did Daedalus Leave?” Science, vol. 133, no. 3470, 1961, pp. 2047–2052. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1707844. Accessed 9 Apr. 2021.
Michael C. J. Putnam. “Daedalus, Virgil and the End of Art.” The American Journal of Philology, vol. 108, no. 2, 1987, pp. 173–198. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/294811. Accessed 9 Apr. 2021.
Rico, Gabriele Lusser. “Daedalus and Icarus Within: The Literature/Art/Writing Connection.” The English Journal, vol. 78, no. 3, 1989, pp. 14–23. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/819440. Accessed 9 Apr. 2021.
Strength Of The Titans by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5744-strength-of-the-titans
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