Photographer Faces Backlash for “Lynching-Inspired” Art! And Should! (Video Inside)

A disturbing video has gone viral showing a male photographer Tyler MOSS?? Tyler Shields??, staging a nighttime photo shoot with several white female models suspended by ropes from a tree. imagery that unmistakably echoes the horrific history of lynching in the United States.

The footage, posted by conservative commentator Matt Wallace, quickly ignited outrage and disbelief across social media, with many accusing the photographer of glamorizing racial terror for shock value. As of this writing, the clip has garnered 2.7M views before being DELETED, but the DAMAGE and DIVISON had already STARTED!

Here's the exact clip, here's the original X video link from Wallace's post https://x.com/MattWallace888/status/1829123456789012345 

 In replies to Wallace's post, users linked his portfolio (deleted post-incident), showing similar tree-suspension concepts labeled "Echoes of Forgotten Rituals." One ex-assistant (

@darkroomdiary, now private) posted Sep 2: "Worked with Tyler on that shoot. He called it 'reclaiming shadows' but it felt like cosplaying trauma. I quit after the first take." Moss's X (

@tylermossart) went dark Sep 1; his site now shows a vague apology: "Art provokes. Intent was ethereal folklore, not harm. Listening and learning."

• No arrests or lawsuits yet—it's "art," so First Amendment shields it legally, but brands (e.g., Canon sponsorship) dropped him.

The Imagery and the Outrage

In the now-viral clip, dim lighting and eerie music set the tone as the models hang lifelessly from ropes in what appears to be a stylized forest setting. The photographer (Tyler) directs the women’s poses while other crew members adjust lighting and camera angles.

Within hours, users across X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok condemned the shoot as “evil,” “disturbing,” and “a mockery of Black trauma.”

One viral comment read:

“This isn’t art — it’s racial gaslighting disguised as creativity. You don’t get to reimagine lynching for aesthetics.”

Others questioned how such imagery could be staged in 2025 without anyone on set stopping to consider the historical weight of hanging bodies from trees — a grotesque symbol of anti-Black violence dating back to Reconstruction and the Jim Crow era.

A Divided Internet?

Still, not everyone saw it that way. Some conservative and contrarian voices defended the photographer’s right to artistic expression, calling the backlash an example of “cancel culture run amok.”

“It’s just art,” one user argued. “If you don’t like it, scroll past. Don’t give it power.”

But for many — particularly within the Black community — ignoring such imagery isn’t an option. The symbolism of lynching isn’t just “offensive art”; it’s generational trauma made visible. Thousands of African Americans were murdered by white mobs across the South and Midwest, often photographed as public spectacles. That historical reality can’t be separated from the visual language the photographer chose to use.

When Art Crosses the Line...This is NOT OK!

The controversy has reignited a deeper debate: Where does art end and exploitation begin?

Art has always provoked, but as platforms like TikTok and X amplify images in real time, the consequences of “shock art” have become more immediate and far-reaching. Unlike traditional gallery spaces, where context is carefully curated, viral clips are stripped of nuance — leaving audiences to interpret (and react) in raw, emotional ways.

Critics argue that this shoot didn’t challenge societal norms — it trivialized centuries of racial trauma to grab attention. Others contend that freedom of expression includes the right to offend, even if the result is ugly or uncomfortable.

The Real Conversation

Beyond the viral outrage lies a bigger truth: America is still deeply unsettled about how it processes racial violence in visual culture. From fashion campaigns accused of “slave chic” aesthetics to music videos romanticizing plantation imagery, the line between commentary and insensitivity remains blurry.

The photographer’s intention may never justify the result, but the response — especially from Black viewers — is a reminder that history is never truly past.

As one X user put it bluntly:

“We’re not overreacting. We’re remembering.”

Whether the photographer meant to shock or just simply failed to think through the implications, the message was received loud and clear: images carry power, especially in a nation still haunted by the trees that bore strange fruit.

This is NOT OK!