If one purpose of art is to stop the viewer in their tracks, are jump scares art? They are in the hands of Lily Polizzi, the Guilford-based creator of the guerilla ghoul Scaryface. 

A hyper bleached, blood-soaked version of Polizzi’s own face, Scaryface debuted this year on posters bearing uplifting messages such as ‘You Have So Much To Live For, Don’t Give Up Yet” and “Do you know who you are?/It’s time to find out.”

The juxtaposition of the fear factor and motivational quote were meant to jar the public and “fight back against conformity.”

It worked: Polizzi received her first feedback an hour after stapling Scaryface to a New Haven telephone pole. “My friend sent me a screenshot of someone else’s Instagram story that had a picture of my poster with the caption, ‘What the fuck, just scared the shit out of me, you spooky bitch’.” 

The most apt quote Polizzi has paired with Scaryface may be one borrowed from educator and community organizer Cesar A. Cruz: “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comforted.” 

Some public art blends, becoming one with the tapestry of its backdrop. You have to search to see it. Other forms exist to skew the status quo. Both kinds have their benefits; the skewing school may be more “public” for the fact that it grabs everyone’s eye, not simply those who can seek. 

Such impact is why Scaryface works as art – one can’t be ambivalent about the ominous, maniacal visage. She exists to shake up the world around her.

“I want my art to make people question themselves and their surroundings,” said Polizzi, who’s originally from Clarks Summit, PA. “It’s an act of disturbance that lingers after interacting with it.” She wants viewers to explore their place in this world, and how they see this world itself. As Scaryface herself says on her website, “There is something waiting for you on the other side of the door, but first you must find the key to unlock it.”

Considering Scaryface’s immediate impact, Polizzi has considered the possibility of creating a coterie of characters, but the artist also enjoys being unpredictable .

“I don’t put my art in a box,” says Polizzi. “I originally started my artist profile with cute bunny and cat drawings, and now I’m here. I like to keep my identity enigmatic.” 

One thing’s for sure: Polizzi’s dedication to displaying her art in public, and dedication to garnering reactions, make her one to watch, and Scaryface one to watch out for…