cybertiger
‘[…] stereotyping is not restricted to the way in which any individual characterises and dismisses the threat of others, but is also typical of the way in which personal identity is constructed. The ‘I’, Barthes realised, ‘is not an innocent subject’. It is a complex interweaving of influences drawn from shared cultural knowledge, which is then naturalised as personal history, so that even the individual’s subjectivity has ultimately the generality of stereotypes’
Steve Baker, Picturing the Beast. Animal, Identity and Representation
Reflecting on the representation of identity in the context of social media, I have focused specifically on how identity is portrayed on dating apps, examining patterns and categories in the production of images.
This project explores how online platforms, offering spaces for connection and visibility, have introduced complex mechanisms of image creation and self-representation. More specifically, it examines the use of animal imagery—particularly tigers—on users' dating profile photos.
The images I’ve collected have been catalogued to better understand their symbolism and the visual messages they communicate, which often reflect offline influences. By analysing the repetitive gestures and patterns that appear in these images, I’ve digitally recreated these motifs and transferred them onto fabric, mimicking the patterns of animal skin.
This exploration connects stereotypes, animal symbolism, and representations of masculinity, translating these offline gestures into repetitive online patterns and imagery.
