Asylum Icarus

Sean Rush presents Asylum: Icarus as a meditation on ambition, vulnerability, and tension. Rendered in conte pencil and coffee wash, the drawing juxtaposes precise anatomical structure—the strong profile, swept neck lines—with the fluid spontaneity of wash-stained feather and background.

The figure’s upward gaze evokes the mythic reach toward transcendence. Yet the lone feather hints at fragility—ambition perched on precarious balance. Toned in warm sepia, the piece merges classical restraint with mythic psychology.

Rush’s signature interplay of control and chance invites reflection: where discipline yields to suggestion, gesture dissolves into atmosphere. In this work, aspiration meets its own echo—a silent ritual of presence inviting the viewer into a contemplative threshold.