PDF WITH ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS AND SAMPLE ASSIGNMENT ATTACHED BELOW.
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Hahyun Kim
Valerie Romain
ART103 32001
MAR 20, 2024
Passion and Possibility by Recreating Matisse’s Icarus
The selected painting is Henry Matisse’s Icarus. This work was created between
1943 and 1944. This paint is included in the jazz series. The reason I chose this work
was because I was interested in its raw feel and the collage-style technique created by
attaching together. Also, the subject of this painting, Icarus, is a mythical character who
falls due to arrogance, but the figure of Icarus depicted in this work looks more like
dancing than falling. The reason this image caught my eye was because, to my eyes,
the Icarus in this work did not seem like a man corrupted by arrogance, but rather a
man with red passion who took on challenges that seemed impossible.
In the process of recreating this work, some parts were cut out of paper, just as
Matisse did with his works. However, for the background part of the work, I used fabric
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rather than paper. With the wrinkled effect of the fabric, I wanted to give the feeling of
Icarus falling into the sea and floating on it.
There are various interpretations of the symbolic meaning of this work. Some
argue that the falling Icarus is a projection of a falling air force, reflecting the war that
was going on at the time the work was created, while others argue that the yellow stars
around Icarus are not stars but wing feathers. In this way, various interpretations and
meanings are given. If I understand this work from my perspective as a person living in
the 21st century, I think the red heart of Icarus symbolizes the spirit of challenge,
passion, desire for the seemingly impossible, and the human will to overcome
something huge. So Icarus accepts the challenge and dances to success. The place
where he is is a sky of endless fall. No one knows whether it will be a sea where failure
can be accepted.
I admire Matisse’s work and his style. At the time Matisse created this work, he
was in poor health and had difficulty holding a brush. At this time, he happened to cut
out a bird shape, and it is said that it was not only difficult but also fun. So he continued
to cut out various shapes and colors and place them on the canvas, opening up a new
world of work. Because the form is simple, you may think, ‘I want to make something
like this too.’ But you can’t even imagine how much thought and repetition went into
creating this implied form. So this work seems to be full of the innocence and
tremendous energy contained in the last moments of his life.
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Process
Step 1 : cut out stars
Step 2 : lay them down on bed
Step3 : change clothes in to fully black, get position at the middle of stars
Final Photo
