Turning Cyberbullying into Art - ‘The Bully Pulpit’ by Haley Morris-Cafiero
Welcome to this edition of [book spotlight]. Today, we uncover the layers of 'The Bully Pulpit,' by Haley Morris-Cafiero (published by Fall Line Press). We'd love to read your comments below about these insights and ideas behind the artist's work.
Haley Morris-Cafiero’s latest photography book, “The Bully Pulpit,” is a bold and deeply personal exploration of cyberbullying through self-portraiture. After her previous series, “Wait Watchers,” went viral, Morris-Cafiero was inundated with hateful comments online. Instead of succumbing to the negativity, she transformed the attacks into art. In “The Bully Pulpit,” she dons the personas of her bullies, complete with wigs, clothing, and simple prosthetics, and overlays the images with the vitriolic comments she received. This project not only pushes the boundaries of self-portraiture but also raises profound questions about the nature of online interactions and the social dynamics of the internet.
In this interview, Morris-Cafiero discusses the inspiration behind “The Bully Pulpit,” her creative process, and the impact her work has had on audiences and critics alike. By turning the lens on her bullies and reflecting their hate back at them through her art, she offers a powerful commentary on the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of creativity.
Introduction to Your Work: Haley, "The Bully Pulpit" is a unique response to cyberbullying through self-portraiture. Can you share what motivated you to address cyberbullying in such a personal and public manner?
When my previous photographic series, Wait Watchers, went viral from 2013 - 2015, I received thousands of hateful messages criticising my appearance. The bullies created web posts, memes, Reddit channels and petitions to decree how ugly I am in an attempt to silence me and stop me creating my activist work. After receiving these messages, I was amused at the waste of time and effort that these bullies were putting into criticising me because it just fueled me to make more work. Because of my reaction to these messages, I knew that I needed to respond to the bullies and I started saving the messages. I knew that if I had responded in text, it would have fueled them to make more comments and they could delete my messages. I then realised that as an image cannot be removed from the internet, I needed to respond with a photograph. After studying their public social media profiles, I noticed that the bullies had highly curated profiles that did not reflect their hateful behaviour. I knew that if I used their profiles to parody the bullies, their narcissism would make my response stronger. I decided to photograph myself costumed as the bullies and insert their hateful comment into the image. That way, their likeness attached to their hateful comment can live on the internet in perpetuity.
Creative Process and Challenges: Recreating the images of your bullies is a bold and provocative act. Could you describe your creative process for this project and any challenges you faced while embodying those who attempted to bully you?
I started with a pool of about 4,000 comments and narrowed them down to 60 bullies. I then chose 25 bullies who represent a wide range of age, gender and location demographics and the type of message they wrote. For each of the 25 bullies, I identified the bully using a quick internet search (the most complicated one to find try to hide his identity by using an image of a cartoon dog as a profile photo. I googled his name and found that he had been arrested. I phoned the jail and had a copy of his mugshot within 10 minutes). I then studied their body language and mannerisms using the public profile. I sourced props and costumes for each bully based on their profile photo. For bullies who wore solid colour clothing, I had their clothing recreated and had their hateful comments printed on the clothing. If the bully wore an iconic piece of clothing, I found the same item of clothing to wear in the photo. I found locations that looked similar to the profile photo backgrounds and then photographed my performance of each bully. I then published the images on The New York Times to close the conceptual loop of the images living online forever.
Impact and Reception: How has "The Bully Pulpit" been received by audiences and critics? Have you noticed any changes in the behavior of those who have attempted to bully you, or in the wider conversation around cyberbullying?
The project has been very well received by the public and art institutions. The images have seemed to inspire people to be empowered against bullies. I am still occasionally attacked by cyberbullies but now there seems to be more people challenging their behaviour.
Personal Growth and Discovery: Through this project, have you discovered anything new about yourself or the nature of bullying and human behavior?
While I knew that cyberbullying existed before I became the focus of bullies, I never realised the extent to which bullies would go to attack a stranger. There was nothing special about me but thousands of people went to great lengths to criticise me. If they are doing this to me, then they are doing the same to others who are likely taking their comments like daggers. I want to be a voice for those who can't defend themselves against bullies.
Artistic and Social Goals: What are the main artistic and social goals you aim to achieve with "The Bully Pulpit"? How do you hope your work impacts viewers and society at large?
Artistically, I want to contribute to and expand the conversation about performative photography and how performance can be used as a tool to communicate an idea and activate the viewer to change society's behaviours. Performance is essential to practice. I want to inspire society to
Techniques and Inspirations: Can you talk about the technical aspects of your photography in "The Bully Pulpit"? What artists or photographers have inspired your approach to self-portraiture and social commentary?
The majority of inspiration for my work are the performance artists of the 60s and 70s. Andrian Piper, Eleanor Antin and VALIE EXPORT are my main sources for inspiration. I am also motivated by Janine Antoni's "In Loving Care" performance.
Advice for Others: What advice would you give to individuals who are experiencing cyberbullying or are interested in using art to address social issues?
My advice to people who are being cyberbullied is to take back the power that the bully is attempting to steal from them by responding to them in unique ways. The bullies interpret silence as a win for themselves. Art is an ideal form for a survivor's response because it cannot be edited or deleted like text.
Future Projects and Directions: Following "The Bully Pulpit," are there other social phenomena or personal experiences you plan to explore in your future work? What can we expect to see from you next?
While I received thousands of hateful comments from bullies, I also received thousands of comments from people who were inspired to make a positive life change after seeing Wait Watchers. Many of these comments were short messages of gratitude. But others were very detailed messages detailing a challenge in their life and how seeing Wait Watchers inspired them to overcome the challenge. To honour their empowerment, I interviewed 25 people who contacted me to share their inspiration and collaborated with them to create performances and costumes for a series of self portraits that depict my performances of their empowerment underwater. I did the performances underwater to challenge society's belief in the Ophelia effect (a woman underwater is considered frail and weak) and to create a surreal aesthetic that mirrors the phenomenon of someone sharing such a private personal story with a stranger. They will be presented as lightboxes and I am working on exhibition and book proposals for the series.
To discover more about this intriguing body of work and how you can acquire your own copy, you can find and purchase the book here. (Amazon, Fall Line Press)
Haley Morris-Cafiero
Haley Morris-Cafiero is a multidisciplinary artist known for her provocative self-portraiture that challenges societal norms and reflects on personal and public interactions. Her work has been exhibited extensively in the United States and internationally, with features in prominent publications such as Le Monde, New York Magazine, and Salon. Morris-Cafiero was nominated for the prestigious Prix Pictet in 2013 and was a Fulbright finalist in 2016. Originally from Atlanta, she earned her BFA in Ceramics from the University of North Florida and an MFA in Art from the University of Arizona. Currently residing in Belfast, Ireland, she is a faculty member at Ulster University, where she continues to inspire and challenge through her art and teachings. (Website, Instagram)
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