Exodus 

Troy Brooks created this painting, Exodus, in the early 21st century, though it's difficult to be more specific. The artist seems to draw on a mid-century aesthetic for the figure: a silver screen starlet beset by butterflies, clutching a red suitcase, perhaps on her way to or from a performance. Brooks seems fascinated by a feminine ideal, the woman as both a visual and emotional spectacle. The red butterflies draw a visual analogy between her and the natural world, yet they also suggest a transformation, a metamorphosis from a past self. Note the curious detail of the electrical socket, unplugged and sparking. Is this a break from the modern world? A return to nature? Or the stirrings of something else entirely? The art historian considers all these possibilities when analyzing the context of an artwork like this, using various resources to more fully understand its meaning. The imagery of "Exodus" might draw on religious ideas as well as those around the social position of women.