THE WISH TO FLY
Humans have probably always longed to be able to fly like birds. Maybe we have an evolutionary common memory of being birds? Bird figurines and deposits from prehistory with buried wing bones from large birds are some evidence of early human's fascination of birds. To dress in bird feathers and let the spirit fly into other worlds are central elements in shamanism within hunter-gatherer societies around the world since prehistory. The flight theme also appears in fairy tales, religions and mythologies as metaphors and symbols of various situations in the life of humans or deities. To fly is often related to transformation and to overcome something, to break boundaries and to be free. Sometimes there is a more moral narrative involved, for instance in Greek mythology where Icarus "flew too high towards the sun" and thus burned himself.
Many of us have dreamed about flying and in the beginning of psychoanalysis – in the Victorian era, such dreams were often considered to symbolize repressed sexuality and forbidden erotic longings. Others have been taking a more practical approach towards the wish to fly by constructing various flying equipment such as Leonardo da Vinci who made several engineering drawings of airplanes. Throughout the 19th century countless flying experiments were conducted by using many different and sometimes very imaginative flying constructions and apparatus. Today we have airplanes for war and traveling, but we do not fly like birds inside these airplanes. The longing continues and can be evidenced in some leisure pleasures such as gliding.
I am interested in the poetic and pleasurable aspect of the wish to fly like birds. So was Otto Lilienthal and he is one of my sources of inspiration. When I was studying archaeology, I wrote a paper about some evidence of bird wings buried by humans and elements from this study are also included in my work. (The paper will soon be ready for download for a small fee). Moreover, once many years ago, I experienced an out-of-body flying two times without ever having consulted any native shaman or having been to some new age "drum seminars" or the like. I am not referring to dreaming or being on drugs! This experience also plays a role in my work. "The wish to fly like birds" consists of 8 paintings and collage of mixed materials on canvases and a collage book.
Asta D. 2015
