Two Cultures – Green c. 1985

Mark Kostabi created this painting, *Two Cultures – Green*, depicting two female figures carrying bowls. The figure on the right is draped, evocative of classical antiquity, a motif frequently resurrected during the Renaissance. On the left, the figure recalls an archaic fertility idol with scattered fruit symbols. This motif of carrying objects on the head appears in ancient Egyptian art, where figures bear offerings to the gods, and later in classical Greek caryatids, supporting structures of temples. The act of carrying—a burden, an offering, sustenance—speaks to a fundamental human experience. This archetype persists through time, resurfacing in various guises. Perhaps this painting unconsciously evokes the tension between classical ideals of order and the raw, untamed forces of nature. It may stem from a collective yearning for a simpler, more natural existence, a theme that has captured our imaginations across centuries. The symbols Kostabi uses are not static relics but living entities that evolve and adapt, reflecting our ever-changing relationship with the past.