Medusa 

Troy Brooks created this compelling painting, Medusa, using traditional oil paints. The smooth surface of the painting, combined with Brooks' masterful manipulation of light and shadow, gives the figure an almost hyper-realistic, porcelain-like quality. This illusionism belies the labor that went into its making. Brooks would have spent hours layering thin glazes of paint, building up the image in stages. The result is a kind of high-end magazine illustration that brings to mind both art deco and surrealism. The artifice of the figure is telling. While the painting is undoubtedly beautiful, it also suggests a commentary on the pressures faced by women in contemporary society. The figure's exaggerated features, combined with the title of the work, evoke a sense of unease and even danger. Brooks transforms paint into a mirror reflecting our collective anxieties about beauty, power, and the female form.