Of Dana Costello’s series of paintings "Jungle Burning Bright" Julia Leach (NY Times) writes:

“There are hints of Henry Darger in the vibrant canvases of the West Coast painter Dana Costello, who (surprise) finds inspiration in her Catholic-school days and primordial landscapes. Androgynous children in crisp uniforms stir memories of youth’s dark side.” The flat, solid color backgrounds of the paintings create a surreal, floating world for Costello’s figures, whose very lack of location facilitates an almost universal identification in viewers. Influenced by Japanese Ukiyo Prints, David Hockney and Alex Katz, Costello has for the last five years created a universe of youthful characters, completely devoid of emotion, who are placed in abstract landscapes and confrontational situations. These deeply psychological paintings exude a dream-like quality that dwell on complex individual responses to varying degrees of isolation and community. The paintings in "Jungle Burning Bright" respond directly to how group behavior strips away the individual through situations that involve conflict and potentially unhealthy alliances."