INTANGIBLE TURNING TANGIBLE
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LABYRINTHS AND COILS
“Daidalos”
by Louis Valentin Robert
2016
for example, it is said that his sculptures
Daedaleus, whose name is generally coupled
gave the impression of being alive,
with his son’s name, Icarus, was one of the
as if they were about to get up
greatest craftsmen of his times and perhaps of
and walk, had they not been
all times, if it’s true that to every myth there is
fastened to pillars by chains...
Greek mythology tells us that
Daedalus was the creator of
the famous labyrinth
he designed and
built for King
always a kernel of veracity.
Minos of Crete. The reason he was requested to build the
The same may be stated
Labyrinth was to avoid that the Minotaur
when
(monstrous half-bull and half-human creature)
powerfully communicative
could escape.
bronze sculpture
King Minos, who was especially notorious for
portraying Daedalus himself.
his ingratitude, instead of thanking him for
The proportion of his entire body is flawless as
having built the Labyrinth, thought to imprison
one would expect from an artist since – whether
Daedalus, along with his son Icarus, so that he
this is true or not – it is said that we somehow
could never reveal the secret of how the maze
contribute to our own appearance as we grow
was built.
towards adulthood, and that our appearance
Daedalus being the genius and free spirit he
reflects our inner self and, in this case, we have
was, could not be imprisoned for too long and
an artist’s mind and soul to whom proportion
found a way to escape: of course, we could
and beauty were his absolute raison d’etre.
extraordinary creative impulses or compulsions
craftsman ever.
His attitude is that of determined self-
often rather quick-tempered and may even be
He built wings for himself and for his son. confidence in himself and in his artistic
The wings were a great success as they actually
abilities, clearly indicated by the urn he
allowed both, father and son, to fly and
is exhibiting, while the elbow resting on the
consequently escape.
anvil also discloses his other interests that
The rest of the story we all know is that,
probably involved heavier work and a just as
since Icarus did not heed his father’s
consummate craftsmanship.
advice, he flew too close to the sun and his
The anvil without the hammer may reveal an
beautiful wings made of wax melted, leaving
artwork just being conceived or in the making,
him to plummet into the Aegean, with
given his many and most variegated interests.
consequences that may be easily guessed.
Going back to Daedalus’ invention of the wings
There are always two sides to every story and
he fashioned, such innovative contraption
the ingenious mind is no exception.
was absolutely unprecedented and quite
Daedalus did not only have a prodigious
astounding, as it fulfilled one of man’s most
mind but he also had the necessary talent and
ancient aspirations, i.e., the ability to fly.
craftsmanship that allowed him to turn his ideas
And his inventions were too many to be all
into concrete forms.
recounted here. But genius generally expresses
To those who were able to admire his statues,
itself in extremes, or in creative outbursts that
admiring
this
not expect any lesser exploit from the greatest
may be either constructive or destructive:
such extremes would, consequently, demand
proper self-monitoring of one’s own self-control
to achieve some kind of balance, and especially
if such creative impulses are not properly
channelled for constructive purposes.
As a rule, it would seem that people driven by
– and Daedalus was surely among these – are
extremely irrational on occasion, with bursts of
anger and violence, exhibiting an exaggerated
sense of self-importance and self-infatuation
to the point of not being able to bear the
thought of anyone outdoing them.
This was, without a doubt, Daedalus’ case.
His nephew Perdix, who dared to surpass
his uncle with his own inventions, paid his
resourcefulness with his life, since it is said
that Daedalus – who should have been more than
happy with his overabundant intellectual gifts – in
a fit of artistic envy, caused his nephew to fall
down from the Acropolis and was thereafter
obliged to leave Athens.
Very interesting how Daedalus attempts
to give his son a notion of balance,
insisting not to fly too close to the sun
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(to avoid that his wings would melt), nor too
This unique figure of such Master
close to the sea, (to avoid that his feathers
Craftsman – whether real, mythical or
could be weighed down by the water), but
merely psychological – is deserving of our
does not however succeed in securing
attention.
“Laocoön and His Sons”
either his son’s obedience, balance or safety.
Notwithstanding his father’s multiple
The myth of Daedalus and Icarus has
warnings, Icarus, overly confident in his
manifold connotations and one might
own ability and prowess, paid for such
actually get lost in an attempt to
hubris with his own life.
run through the labyrinthine paths
One might rightly conclude that Icarus
that life may offer, but life may be
would probably have been much more
either a contorted maze of confusion, or
cautious, had his father talked less and
a generous well lavishing uncountable
done more.
opportunities, and the same may
In other words, by setting an example of
be stated for professions; the legal
prudence – which is hardly what one may
profession, in particular, is the one most
expect from a father who is a genius – Icarus
likely to be assimilated to a veritable
might have been able to survive.
labyrinth in which – sometimes –
But we know how most geniuses are:
finding an exit (i.e., viable solution for
exceedingly curious, ever enthusiastic,
all parties) is far from simple, given its
relentless in pursuing their ideas and
inherent intricacy, disparity of legal
researches, natural explorers driven
and juridical systems, creation of
by a compelling urge to always discover
loopholes and the difficulty of applying
or create something new – which makes of
the Law on an equitable basis in cases
them authentic pioneers under all respects –
where sometimes the fundamental
while being simultaneously convinced
elements are missing.
when any innocent party might have to grapple
certain that they shall be able to
But it is challenge that sharpens the
therefore revert to the Law.
overcome any and all obstacles.
wits and animates the same futuristic
Daedalus was an exceptionally gifted
spirit that will forge a new breed of
artist, inventor, sculptor, craftsman
young and motivated professionals,
who, as all hyper-creative minds was as
ready to face whatever challenges,
complicated as the Labyrinth he had
and innovative paths the profession of
conceived.
legal or tax consultancy may demand.
of their being invincible, and forever
MILANO
TORINO Athena to punish him for having warned the Trojans
against the Greeks’ Trojan Horse.
This remarkable sculpture, highly extolled by most art
connoisseurs as the masterpiece par excellence was, and
still is, considered today a living Icon of human anguish,
pain and suffering as it offers to the eye and the mind a
scenario that is as realistic as it is bloodcurdling, in view
of the subject it involves.
If we were to draw a contemporary parallel, the feeling
of mental anguish and helplessness is often justified
with situations that are beyond his control and must
In this case, a helping hand generally comes from a
first-rate Legal Consultant to deliver such party from
the intricate and almost inextricable coils of the Law
and its myriads of rules, principles and procedures,
especially within an international, globalized and
barely dialoguing context.
Viale Bianca Maria, 45 - 20122
Via San Pio V, 27 - 10125
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Email: [email protected]
TORINO
by big and venomous water serpents sent by Apollo and
Email: [email protected]
His Sons being simultaneously entangled and attacked
Tel: +39 02 7626131 Fax: +39 02 76001091
The sculpture is a vivid representation of Laocoön and
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