Haley Cooper

“I have done dance for over 20 years.”

- Fun Fact about Haley

Artist statement
In this project I explore and question the role that photography plays in shaping childhood memories and the creation of one’s identity. Through this questions had surfaced. How are my memories different from what the camera captures? Can I find myself in family photographs or do photographs obscure what actually took place? Where do my memories end and “I” begin? 

I don’t remember my childhood. There are bits and pieces that are fuzzy, and certain memories don’t line up correctly. At times the photographs feel harsh and destructive. But, this represents the process of reckoning with the past. It’s been painful to dig through boxes upon boxes of forgotten moments. And through this project I have discovered who I used to be and who I have become. The young girl in those pictures is with me somewhere and I am also a part of her. 

Biography

Abington, MA

Haley Cooper is a Boston based photographer, and she is a senior in the photography BFA program at Massachusetts College of Art and Design graduating in May 2024. Her work focuses on self portraiture, still lives, and the construction of childhood memories. 

In her time at MassArt she has been exhibited in multiple curated shows, the MassArt All School Show, Photographic Resource Center’s Student Show, as well as group shows at MassArt. As well as magazine and zine publications, Sidelines Magazine and MassArt

Interview

Gisele - What is it about reconnecting with your childhood self that is so special to you?

Haley - I think that reconnecting with my childhood self is so important because so much of my childhood seems like a blur. Looking back now, I was so worried about what I was going to be when I was older that I forgot to cherish what was happening in the moment. I see this project as a way to reflect on that, to take a closer look at memories and gain back that connection with my younger self. Through the course of this project I have played with the idea that the person I was is still within me somewhere, I just have to find her. 

Gisele - I've noticed the unique and beautiful way you've used string in your photos. What is the significance in using string to almost remove your childhood self out of old photos?

Haley - The true significance of the sting has been something that I’ve been working on how to describe. Those pieces are always so hard for me to describe. They can be read in so many different contexts. But, a lot of what I deal with in this project is not properly remembering myself as a child and I kind of see this as a way of showing that. These to me represent how the memories feel. Like I was really there in them and that’s really where the thread comes into play. But, what’s not well translated in the scans of these works, is that you can still see under the string. It doesn’t completely remove me, it’s just a covering. 

Gisele - There's a photo I'm thinking about in specific that I was wondering about which is also one of my favorites, which is you in an empty theater with a blank projector out in front of you. Can you talk about what you wanted this photo to tell the viewer?

Haley - This image really came around after I started incorporating projections into my project. I see this image as sort of a starting point for the series as a whole. It brings the viewers in, getting them ready in a way. To sit and look at a blank screen I feel is really powerful. Sort of looking at a blank slate, to bring new and old memories together. And that’s what this series is set to achieve, the merging of two different times. This image, and really the whole project, too was very inspired by this lyric by Noah Kahan a lot when I think of this image. It’s “I’m losing myself in the tiniest objects. I’m seeing my life on a screen.” 

Gisele - The color red seems to pop up a few times in your work, whether it's the color of string or the light, I'm wondering if this holds any importance to you?

Haley - There is this old myth that there’s an invisible red string tied around everyone’s pinky finger. This string is supposed to lead you to someone important in your life. I sort of had this in mind when incorporating the red. I see it in a way that younger version of myself somewhere at the end of the string or within the light. But, to be candid as well I also just really love the boldness of the color and red always seems to be the one I turn to. 

Gisele - Some of the moments I love the most in your series are seeing the way your mother holds you in the same way she did when you were a child. I think it's crazy to think about how you have changed so many times as a person throughout your life already, like you talk about, but here your mother is, someone who’s seen you through every stage and has never stopped holding you the way she did when you were born. Do you think about this while working on this series? Do you think that's an important part of what you're trying to make?

Haley - My mom has been there through it all with me. She really has seen me at every stage. When I was looking through all the old family photos and seeing those pictures of us, each one had some loving gesture. A hug, kiss on the check, or even just the simple arm around the shoulder. At the start of this project I questioned whether to include anybody else. I was having trouble figuring out the right way to but I think my mom is the best person to include. For that reason, she is such a big part of my life. I think it's an essential part of the series. The picture of us together shows that we’ve both grown together. And yes, I did think about this a lot when working. And as I mentioned, I was looking at so many pictures of us, I just really wanted to recreate one of those moments. I’m so glad that she’s a part of this really important project.