Jessica Helfand|The Icarus Diaries
May 18, 2026
18: Perspective
24 x 24 inches
2026
The poet Mary Bernard called Icarus a disturber of the unseen.
The New York Times called Lindbergh the Icarus of the twentieth century.
I wonder why we equate martyrdom with unfinished acts, as though an incomplete mission eviscerates its intention.
20 x 16 inches
Oil on canvas
2026 (Sold)
“We are never tired”, wrote Emerson, “so long as we can see far enough”.
Observed
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By Jessica Helfand
Jessica Helfand is an artist and writer based in New England. A former critic at Yale School of Art and one of the founding editors of Design Observer, she is the author of several books on visual culture including Self Reliance, Design: The Invention of Desire, and Face: A Visual Odyssey. jessicahelfand.com
