Powerful image celebrated for redefining how we see the body

A powerful image taken by ÖÆ·þÎÞÂë (DMU) Leicester’s subject group leader of Visual Arts has been named one of

Haley Morris-Cafiero’s Wait Watchers series, created between 2010 and 2015 across nine countries, captures unfiltered reactions from strangers as she poses in public spaces. The photographs explore the ambiguity of the gaze and how society communicates unspoken judgements about others.

The series went viral when it was published in 2013, with Morris-Cafiero appearing on TV shows and magazines around the world.

“The series is about how society uses the gaze to express feelings and thoughts about others—and how we view ourselves through those interactions,” explains Morris-Cafiero.

To achieve the candid nature of the photographs, she had an assistant wear the camera and capture moments as they unfolded naturally. While some reactions in the series are subtle, others clearly show ridicule or judgment. This raw portrayal of societal attitudes toward bodies sparked widespread conversation when the series first went viral.

Wait Watchers was shown worldwide and featured in more than 250 media features and articles. However, the attention also drew significant online trolling. In response, Morris-Cafiero created a follow-up series by tracking down some of the most hateful comments, dressing as the commenters, and repeating their words in the images.

“I never felt afraid,” she says. “I started saving the messages, knowing I wanted to respond—but not with text. Text fuels them. Images can’t be erased. I wanted them to be scrolling through and suddenly stop when they saw my response.”

Her work predated the body positivity movement and campaigns like those by Dove, prompting early discussions around body image and how we perceive and judge bodies in public spaces. “In the first wave of reactions, people were critical. By the second and third waves, people found their voice and started speaking out,” she said.

Morris-Cafiero joined DMU 18 months ago and continues to inspire through her work. “It’s an honour to have Wait Watchers included in The Guardian’s selection,” she says. “To be part of that conversation is truly humbling.”

Writing in The Guardian, Jess Cartner Morley said: “Sometimes, looking at the body takes place within the frame. Haley Morris-Cafiero’s self-portraits, Wait Watchers, are a snapshot not of her body size but of society’s judgement of it. The artist stands to the right of this photo, staring at us, while the beautiful young couple to the left seem to be staring at her. The empty space in the middle of the frame asks us to pick a side.”