Buried By A Nightstand 

Troy Brooks created “Buried By A Nightstand,” and although undated, it is similar to his work from the 21st century. Brooks’s portraits of women are both haunting and glamorous, often portraying figures in moments of introspection or solitude. The woman in this painting seems to be drowning in yellow roses, a cigarette between her fingers. Her vacant stare, along with the tear-like jewels and surrounding alcohol bottle, hints at a sense of ennui or melancholy. The golden monochromatic palette and the exaggerated features evoke old Hollywood glamour, yet there is an undercurrent of something darker. Brooks’s figures often defy conventional beauty standards. They can be read as challenging the male gaze, presenting female subjects as complex and multifaceted, rather than simply objects of desire. Brooks invites us to ponder the emotional interiority of his subjects, blurring the lines between allure and vulnerability.