Tales of Destiny 2020

Mark Kostabi made "Tales of Destiny" with paint and, I guess, a dose of surreal charm. It's like stepping into a dream where the edges are soft, and the colors glow with an inner light. What strikes me is how the paint seems to float on the canvas, creating this otherworldly atmosphere. The figures, with their smooth, mannequin-like forms, are painted in a way that makes them feel present yet distant, like memories fading at the edges. The palette seems to be based around yellow, pink and orange, with the whole scene seemingly lit by a fireplace. Look at the book that one of the figures is reading – the way Kostabi renders the pages with simple blocks of color, almost like abstract shapes, suggests that the story itself is secondary to the feeling of being lost in its pages. It reminds me a little of de Chirico, but with a more playful touch, like a wink and a nod to the mysteries of life. Art is just a conversation, right?