The Chick-fil-A cow visible from Blue Spiral 1’s window on Biltmore Avenue bears only a stylistic similarity to what’s inside. In other words, there’s no politics in Julyan Davis’s work, which hangs in the Showcase Gallery of Blue Spiral One. British-born Davis, now an Asheville resident, has more than a dozen paintings, mostly landscapes of Asheville and the surrounding area. The imagery will be familiar. A few paintings read like photographs. But unlike the lens, Davis has utilized his oil paints to play with lighting and create isolated moments in time. Several evoke familiar feelings of standing beside the river during winter or inside one of the many antique warehouses near Biltmore Village. In “You Guessed About Right (Pretty Polly)” you’ll find one of the most over-photographed abandoned buildings from the River Arts District. But Davis transforms what would normally be another boring photo into a deeply atmospheric realm filled with darkness, trash and broken light descending from cracks in the roof. Davis’ work is up through Dec. 31 at Blue Spiral 1, 38 Biltmore Ave. www.bluespiral1.com
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