AS Photography
Jude White
Robbie Cooper
In his series of photographs ‘Alter Ego,’ Robbie Cooper explores the relationship between gamers and their online personas. Cooper takes photographs of gamers, and places them next to images of their online avatars, standing in similar poses. This series is an insightful exploration into how we present ourselves in an anonymous inline environment. Cooper’s inspiration came when he was working with a recently divorced man, who was not able to see his children. Every night, the man would meet his children inside an online video game, and they would talk for hours, ignoring the various entertainment opportunities afforded by the game. Cooper was inspired to explore how we interact with the virtual worlds we choose to inhabit.
In this particularly poignant photograph, we see how a disabled child chooses to portray himself online, and we see a glimpse of an imagined version of himself. Medical equipment is replaced for robotic armour, showing how the boy’s situation affects his online persona, and how he sees his disability in his own imagination.
Cooper seems to be particularly fascinated by contrasts. The urban environment of the city is a stark juxtaposition with the real-life setting the man stands in. Despite the character being very fantastical, we see certain similarities to the real man such as the long hair and the hints of red, as seen in the man’s hair.
Perhaps the strongest contrast of all, this gamer is not even the same gender as his avatar. Again, this lends credibility to stereotypes of Asian gamers. Cooper’s work seems to centre on stereotype, and in a way I feel this detracts from its authenticity as a true representation of gamers. As such, I would like to potentially challenge certain stereotypes through my own work.
In this particularly poignant photograph, we see how a disabled child chooses to portray himself online, and we see a glimpse of an imagined version of himself. Medical equipment is replaced for robotic armour, showing how the boy’s situation affects his online persona, and how he sees his disability in his own imagination.