Jill Greenberg “Glass Ceiling” (2011) Jill Greenberg’s interest in fem

Jill Greenberg “Glass Ceiling” (2011)

Jill Greenberg’s interest in feminist art can be traced back to the year 1989, when the photographer wrote her senior thesis for the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) on “The Female Object”. In this project, she denounced the impact and predominance of the “panoptical male gaze in the female consciousness”. 

Since then, Greenberg’s work has been strongly influenced by issues of “what is tolerated by women in our culture”. The idea behind this series - entitled “Glass Ceiling” (2011) - came from a promotional shoot in which Greenberg was asked to photograph members of the US Olympic Synchronized Swim Team in high heels. 

This odd combination highlights these athlete’s sexuality whilst restraining their ability. Are these women breaking through the tension glass? are they trying to grasp for air?

As said in a recent press release regarding the exhibition, "The result is a sadly relevant series of shots depicting women struggling to keep head above water in a context defined by the constraints pressed upon them by others.“

Breathe.