‘IRL’ Exhibit Debuts Tomorrow at the Greater Reston Arts Center

Updated at 11:05 a.m. — Corrects location of the exhibit

Art is imitating life — especially in an increasingly digital world.

Monica Stroik’s “Cyber series” opens tomorrow (Jan. 17) at the Greater Reston Arts Center at Signature (11850 Freedom Drive).

The series titled “IRL” — shorthand for “in real life” — explores “being present and disconnected simultaneously and how the natural world is entangled in our digital lives” by investigating he intersections between the organic, man-made and virtual worlds, according to the arts center.

Stroik, a Virginia-based painter and video artist, uses a combination of video and paintings for her ongoing series. Her website shows some of the colorful oil on canvas paintings, which depict buildings and nature juxtaposed with blocks and geometric designs.

Stroik’s artist statement says that her paintings depict the natural organic world in relation to the human architectonic influence.

“By standing in the ideal position, the paintings as a group serve to alter the viewer’s perception of space by providing the illusion of a continuous horizon line, which expands despite the confines of the physical architectural environment,” she wrote.

An opening reception for the exhibit will be held on Thursday, Jan. 24, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The exhibit runs until April 23.

Photo via Greater Reston Arts Center

This story has been updated