The Watchers by Haley Morris Cafiero, signed copies, Dublin 2019

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The Watchers by Haley Morris Cafiero, signed copies, Dublin 2019

Haley Morris Cafiero signing copies of The Watchers, Dublin 2019

Haley was in the Gallery of Photography Dublin Ireland last week to sign a few copies of her excellent book The Watchers. Now on sale.

Previously published online and receiving viral exposure, this series of photographs examines how society uses gaze to project emotion and how we interpret the looks of others. The project began after the photographer noticed the facial expressions of a man standing behind her in the self-portrait she had set up in the middle of Times Square.  Intrigued by the man and a similar photo that followed on the roll of film the photographer decided to set up her camera for the purpose of capturing the expressions of passersby.  Each frame is chosen based on the strangers in the background, if they have a critical or questioning look, or if there is a gesture in their body language. By reversing the gaze back on the strangers, the collection begins a conversation about nonverbal interaction and the view society has on body image.

Haley is exhibiting work from The Watchers in the Gallery of Photography Dublin during our Snap Judgements exhibition.

Snap Judgments explores how the new generation of photographic artists are addressing our changing relationship to the photographic image, looking in particular at questions of self-image, self-presentation and social judgment.

Eva O’Leary’s award-winning series Spitting Image shows portraits of American girls photographed through a two-way mirror as they respond to their own reflection. It reveals the girls’ inherent discomfort at being faced with their own image, and the different levels of confidence with which they present themselves to camera.

Part performer, part artist, part provocateur, part spectator, Haley Morris-Cafiero explores the social gaze in her series, Wait Watchers. Putting herself in the frame, Morris-Cafiero’s work implicates the viewer in a dynamic interplay of looking and judging.

Haley Morris Cafiero signed copies of The Watchers, Dublin 2019

Tanya, Haley & Daragh at Snap Judgements exhibition at Gallery of Photography Dublin, IrelandWhereas O’Leary and Morris-Cafiero’s works explore moments of anxiety or tension, Daragh Soden‘s award-winning series Young Dubliners succeeds in revealing a much more relaxed and self-accepting outlook. It features young Dubliners as they present themselves in their own environments. Soden celebrates the unique character of the city’s young people with empowering portraits that acknowledge his subject’s vulnerability without denying their quiet confidence.Artists Talk: Haley Morris-Cafiero and Daragh Soden will talk about their work at a reception to mark the official launch of the exhibition, Thursday May 2nd at 6pm.

Curators Talks: Join us every Wednesday and Friday lunchtime for an introduction to the work on display and a guided tour by one of the Gallery of Photography curators.

Exhibition continues until May 26 Admission free, donations are welcome.

About the artist:

Haley Morris-Cafiero holds a BA in Photography from North Florida and a MFA in Art from the University of Arizona. She is Lecturer in Photography and Global Engagement Lead at the Belfast School of Art since 2018. Her work has been shown to critical acclaim internationally and new work will be the focus of solo exhibitions at Belfast Exposed Gallery later this year and at the Centre de la Photographie in Geneva in 2020.
Wait Watchers work was published as The Watchers by the Magenta Foundation in 2015. Signed copies are available for purchase in the Gallery Bookshop.
www.haleymorriscafiero.com