Q

Photographer captures the dirty looks strangers give her

Haley Morris-Cafiero chronicles the sideways glances she gets from a wide range of strangers — from police officers to children.
Haley Morris-Cafiero captures strangers' reactions to her in a new book of images called The Watchers. (Haley Morris Cafiero)

Haley Morris-Cafiero doesn't just feel like strangers gawk and glare at her in public. The artist and photographer has concrete evidence. 

Her multi-year photo project, The Watchers, captures the sideways glances and outright dirty looks she gets from a wide range of people — from police officers to children — who appear to be reacting to her weight in negative ways.

Morris-Cafiero joins guest host Piya Chattopadhyay to discuss the banality of body-shaming, how she feels about the hard looks, and why we should all be more aware of the power of our gaze. 

q: Are you aware of how strangers look at you? Are you aware of how you look at strangers? Please share your perspective below, or email q@cbc.ca

WEB EXTRA | See a sample of Morris-Cafiero's photos, posted here with the artist's permission, below. 

This is the photo that started it all. In the sensory overload that is Times Square, Haley Morris-Cafiero noticed that she was the focal point for a stranger, who appears to be smirking at her. (Haley Morris-Cafiero)

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*This interview originally aired on Monday March 14, 2016