Passing the test

This exhibit of Troy Dalton’s recent paintings, titled The Art Test, does indeed seem like an exam. The thing is, it’s hard to tell if the viewer just hasn’t paid enough attention in class or if there just aren’t any right or wrong answers to the questions. Either way, the large canvases, stapled directly to the walls of the Art Foundry, seduce with their vibrancy and lush atmospheres of unclear or perhaps clandestine metaphors. Within the stage-like framing and pedestals often used in the foreground, Dalton’s world can sink into a dreamlike space, offering clues to his appreciation for mythology and outmoded art traditions. It could be that the test is for Dalton himself: After all, he’s the one trying to solve an artist’s problems. The Art Test—Paintings Since the Fire runs through December 7 at the Art Foundry Gallery, 1021 R Street.