Robbie Cooper

Robbie Cooper (born 1969) is a British artist working in photography, video and [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_camera_system | explorable 3D].

He was educated in Kenya and the UK, and studied media production at Bournemouth College of Art. In 2002 Cooper embarked on Alter Ego, a long-term project that explored virtual online worlds and the identities people create within them. His Alter Ego photographs have been exhibited internationally and were published as a book in 2007. Each portrait includes text written by the subject that records their online experiences. In 2008 Cooper began the Immersion project, in which he records the expressions of people watching TV, playing video games and using the internet. He is particularly interested in using high-resolution video for the simultaneous production of video and stills. Over time the project will build into a body of work which captures people of all ages immersed in digital media.

Immersion Technique

The technique used by Robbie Cooper for Immersion is inspired by a method developed by documentary filmmaker Errol Morris. Known as the Interrotron method, Morris used the process to interview people directly through the camera lens. A modified autocue, the Interrotron uses a two-way mirror to reflect an image towards the viewer whilst they gaze into the camera. Morris connected a live video feed of himself into the Interrotron so he could ask questions and the interviewee could retain direct eye contact with him, whilst expressing themselves straight to the camera and the audience. Morris has used this technique to film individuals for the television series First Person (2000), and his Oscar-wining documentary, The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003).

Publications

Alter Ego: avatars and their creators. Chris Boot. 2007. ISBN 978-1905712021