For a year-long run on the video wall in the gallery lobby, Pareidolia showcases work by Steve DiPaola, a professor at SFU’s School of Interactive Art and Technology.

His “generative art uses pattern-recognition software to reconfigure the world around us,” according to a post on the gallery’s website, at surrey.ca.

“His synesthetic compositions call to mind a dreamlike reality. Aping the process of pareidolia – the detection of patterns in an environment where there are none – he blends found images and patterns from the natural environment and art history with recorded footage of people and places. Nothing is quite as it seems.

“DiPaola’s work juxtaposes footage of the nearby space with gallery patrons and staff, creating a space in which each is absorbed into the other,” the website explains.

Edwards, who appears in Pareidolia, says it’s not often people find themselves the subject of an artwork.

“Steve’s work speaks to how deeply embedded we are in a world of machines,” Edwards says. “Across every level of society – from individuals to entire institutions – we find ourselves conjoined within a virtual reality that influences how and what we see.”

(Above image courtesy of Surrey Art Gallery)

Read full article on Surrey Now Leader: https://www.surreynowleader.com/entertainment/photos-purposeful-play-student-art-at-surrey-gallery-plus-dipaolas-digital-pareidolia/