Title
Creation Date
2017
Preview
Medium
digital image
Description
This video still is part of a larger stop-motion animation entitled Icarus.
Rights
© Ben Anthony Konkol, 2017.
Keywords
stop motion, animation, Icarus, hand-drawn, pen, ink
2017
digital image
This video still is part of a larger stop-motion animation entitled Icarus.
© Ben Anthony Konkol, 2017.
stop motion, animation, Icarus, hand-drawn, pen, ink
Artist Statement
This animation sequence is a post-apocalyptic retelling of the story of Icarus. This narrative takes a liberal step away from the original myth, by combining the roles of architect and pilot into one character, and by focusing on the construction and flight of a ship. The circumstances surrounding the escape are left to the viewer to intuit. By referencing cyber-punk and retro-futurism, I developed a machine-world aesthetic in a flat, wireframe style. This animation is composed of a series of hand-drawn frames which have been edited and assembled in Photoshop. No digital manipulation has occurred beyond what was required to fit the physical artworks together in a digital format.
The only semblance this version bears to the original myth, is in the construction and use of mechanical flight. No father loses a son, and in fact, the paternal relationship is omitted to allow for more focus on the novelty of flight. Additionally, themes of unity and hope carry the plot of the story, and are supplemented by a shaky, hand-drawn aesthetic. Don’t take it too seriously. No one else is.