A series by photographer and professor Matthew Troyer explores the intersection of gaming and militarization in American culture. Troyer lives in North Carolina and is a former U.S. Marine Corps combat photographer. Playing War focuses on airsoft games, specifically at Rockingham Airsoft and Tactical Support (RATS) in Reedsville, NC. The facility allows civilians, who typically have no military background, to don combat gear, wield replica weapons and simulate war in an abandoned elementary school. A former place of learning turned into a battlefield illustrates the troubling trajectory that Troyer’s project faces:
“These images explore how the aesthetics of war permeate everyday life, transforming conflict into entertainment and diversion. The project asks viewers to reflect on its consequences: when war becomes a game, how it shapes our understanding of real conflict, trauma and sacrifice Get it? War Games challenges the normalization of militarism in the civilian sphere and raises questions about America’s culture of violence.”
