Stardust 

Curator: Here we have "Stardust" by Troy Brooks, an oil painting that really invites you to pause. Editor: Wow, it's ethereal, isn't it? Like a Pre-Raphaelite painting slipped into a fever dream. The muted tones and the floating figure give it this strange, otherworldly calm, like she’s gently dissolving. Curator: It does play with that Neo-Pop and Surrealist aesthetic. Brooks' work often features these women, almost doll-like, placed in peculiar environments that reflect certain societal anxieties. Editor: Anxiety, yes, but there's also something incredibly vulnerable and intimate about her. The way she's reclined, eyes closed, surrounded by water lilies…it feels like we’ve stumbled upon a secret. What’s the water signify for you? I am curious to know if he takes any inspiration from Ofelia’s death… Curator: Water can symbolize purification, the subconscious, even a sense of rebirth. Given Brooks' interest in societal anxieties, perhaps the water here provides an escape from them, and maybe this alludes to a kind of self-imposed exile or reflection on societal pressure on women, considering her exposed figure in it. Editor: Mmm, I get that. But I also wonder about the "stardust," right? The title infers it and little glimmers that appear within the blue hue that is almost fabric that floats with her, there is something about the magic of everyday that attracts me about his paintings. Curator: That title definitely adds a layer. Stardust implies both fragility and a sort of cosmic significance. Brooks places his figures at these strange intersections. These women, he might suggest, are complex intersections of fragility and potential in the current era. Editor: It makes me think about how we're all made of stardust, literally. She becomes less of a damsel and more of a tiny galaxy unto herself! Curator: That ties into why Brook’s work resonates so deeply. The settings that he produces serve the role of portraying current cultural trends; here it serves the Neo-Pop culture, as can be observed by how he gives a portrait style using Surrealism tools. Editor: Ultimately, this piece sticks with you. Long after you've walked away, it evokes something hauntingly beautiful, and a little melancholic. Curator: Absolutely. "Stardust," and much of Brooks’ broader work, makes you reconsider familiar themes through an unusual lens. The image becomes about much more than what it represents directly.