intertextuality

For my undergraduate years, I studied literature, American studies, and creative writing. Often at the same time. As a result, I was always forming connections between texts regardless of their presentation.

Ultimately this led to authors like Ralph Ellison being in direct conversation with bands like The National. Certain concepts are forever linked, and new connections are always forming. These connections may be as straightforward as a portrait, or embedded as something deeper.

This portfolio catalogues my attempts to display those images. Each painting has a brief description of the referntial pieces if clicked.

Baltimore	Ferguson
Dali SOLD The image is from Salvidor Dali's Un Chein Andalou, where a woman's eye is held open. The blade reads "react" in reference to REM's song titled "Harborcoat."	The Mu'tafikah This painting directly references a group known as the Mu'tafikah from the novel Mumbo Jumbo written by Ishmael Reed.
New York, NY The billboards in the background directly reference those in Ralph Ellison's novel Invisible Man. The speak to race relations in the United States.	Distractions A woman sits at a cafe on her phone, bored. Inspired by Franny and Zooey by JD Salinger.
Henri Cartier-Bresson Henri Cartier-Bresson was a photographer who used to try and capture what was known as the "decisive moment," a concept I return to frequently.

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RYAN ANDREW COSTA

GALLERY

intertextuality

Baltimore

Ferguson

Dali SOLD

The image is from Salvidor Dali's Un Chein Andalou, where a woman's eye is held open. The blade reads "react" in reference to REM's song titled "Harborcoat."

The Mu'tafikah

This painting directly references a group known as the Mu'tafikah from the novel Mumbo Jumbo written by Ishmael Reed.

New York, NY

The billboards in the background directly reference those in Ralph Ellison's novel Invisible Man. The speak to race relations in the United States.

Distractions

A woman sits at a cafe on her phone, bored. Inspired by Franny and Zooey by JD Salinger.

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a photographer who used to try and capture what was known as the "decisive moment," a concept I return to frequently.