jon rafman

screenshots from jon rafman's 'kool-aid man in second life' project. as described by mimi luse: "setting up an avatar for himself on second life in the guise of the kool-aid man, rafman wanders its underworld like an internet flaneur. of course, the often clichéd graphics and CG stock characters of second life are no weimar berlin, but rafman still takes considerable psychological risks, entering into some of the most out-there fantasy lands, sexual and otherwise. sometimes a voyeur, other times an annoyance to those who play SL in earnest, in his absurd rotund costume, he positions himself as the anti-avatar, in complete opposition to romantic characters (pneumatic babes, furries, extreme goths) that the majority of players fashion for themselves. like a tourist, rafman’s kool-aid (username: theodore hartono) documents his travels, and over time, the artist has compiled a hilarious album of snapshots. in each, kool-aid man’s indefeatable grin renders the role-playing a little absurd, proving that context is everything, even in the artificial reality of second life." see more here.

[all jon rafman. from the series kool-aid man in second life.]