Ectophiliac 

Curator: "Ectophiliac," a captivating portrait by Troy Brooks, presents a figure bathed in surreal elegance. What’s your take, Editor? Editor: Well, my initial thought is…ethereal poison. She’s gorgeous, of course, but something feels very deliberately, almost venomously beautiful. Curator: Venomous is a good word. Notice how the precisely rendered figure starkly contrasts with the nebulous, dreamlike background. The composition pushes our eyes to circle constantly around the painting, focusing our attention to her face. Editor: Absolutely, I'm stuck looking at her. And there’s a definite duality there. Her expression is blank, almost doll-like, yet the crimson burst of smoke and stylized tendrils hint at an interior world simmering with something volatile. Those glossy lips and delicate features… they feel like a mask. Curator: The meticulous rendering evokes Pop Surrealism but infused with something almost noir, right? Those fluid, abstract shapes that curl around her—almost like ghosts or echoes of a hidden narrative. The colors contrast intensely and creates such depth. Editor: Noir for sure. Brooks uses classic portraiture in such a warped way! The title adds a layer too. She's drawn to the 'ecto,' the residue or the unseen, and maybe she's leaving that energy behind when exhaling, like the smoking suggests. Very deliberate ambiguity. Curator: I completely agree. The 'ecto' could be seen as residue. There’s a tension between what is physically present – that exquisitely detailed face and satin robe – and the vaporous, otherworldly realm hinted at by those colourful abstractions. She is so deliberately out of reach and strange. Editor: And yet… she compels you to reach, doesn't she? "Ectophiliac" certainly holds onto your attention, revealing and concealing in equal measure. The kind of painting you could revisit a thousand times. Curator: Yes, revealing a glimpse into some beautifully tormented world. An apt name, too. It gives an enticing curiosity.