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The two artists on view at Adah Rose Gallery both use cities as their source of inspiration, but their approaches couldn’t be more different. Thomas Drymon paints abstracted architectural forms in washed-out hues with thick, creamy strokes, often returning over and over again to the same canvas in order to capture subtle changes he sees in his home city of Washington, D.C. Drymon’s soft geometries suggest a wide range of influences, from Richard Diebenkorn to Adolph Gottlieb to Georgia O’Keeffe.
By contrast, Julie Wolsztynski, a Paris-born Washington resident, uses a medium-format camera to document New York City at night. Her series of six images were all made during one night as a passenger in a New York City cab. The vibe is much like a Saturday Night Live title sequence, with artificial light and natural blackness interacting boldly.
Some of Wolsztynski’s images are less compelling than others, but her best are noteworthy: a vertiginous building that collapses into a squat shape due to the photographer’s low angle; dreamy, translucent geometrical forms; skyscrapers visible only due to their rows of lighted windows; and a long-exposure photograph in which lights turn into appealing fireworks show of squiggles.
At Adah Rose Gallery, 3766 Howard Ave., Kensington, Md. (301) 922-0162. On view 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, and noon to 6 p.m. Fridays-Sundays.
