Cloverhead 

Curator: Standing before us, we have Troy Brooks' "Cloverhead," a compelling painting rendered in a style that blends portraiture with elements of Pop Surrealism. What catches your eye first about it? Editor: Well, that startling combination of fragility and aggressive artifice. The attenuated figure, almost skeletal, with those brilliant, almost lurid, green shoes…it’s unsettling, isn't it? The corset emphasizes this contrast further; are we looking at control, exposure, or both? Curator: I think Brooks here is certainly playing with themes of hyper-femininity and its discontents, especially how these themes play out within visual culture. There's this distinct element of modernist angst, echoing, perhaps, the changing roles of women. The bright pop of the shoes against the otherwise muted tones suggests that this subversion is intentional, perhaps celebratory, and definitely provocative. Editor: Yes, the color acts like a rupture. Considering it, the pale skin and elaborate hair reminiscent of vintage Hollywood evoke symbols of transformation and disguise. Look at the hands, almost claws, they signal both an otherworldly, nymph-like being and the raw underbelly that it's struggling to repress. It’s that internal conflict made visible. The green heels appear almost threatening against her frailty. Curator: That repression that you note may also be a visual strategy aimed squarely at consumerist pressures in culture and commerce. Brooks’ artwork highlights how women and the body become commodities subject to trends and manipulation. The way that a specific beauty ideal gets represented--and internalized--certainly affects us as a viewing public. Editor: Right, her back exposed almost invites inspection, she's turned but looking askance, wary, even distrustful. Her gaze doesn’t meet ours head-on. We are being warned. As a final remark, it is so interesting how a painting, stripped of everything except for this core image, triggers our desire for symbolism and an unveiling of a narrative behind it. Curator: Absolutely. Through his pointed commentary on social norms, Troy Brooks makes us consider our own engagement with imagery that dictates--even demands--our attention.