E. Grace Glenny, “Visual Culture and the World of Sport” (Slideshow)

In our increasingly media-saturated world, representations of female athletes are as fraught with meaning as ever. The cover of Sports Illustrated magazine is the arena in which sports stars are made, or more often for women, neglected. Sports Illustrated represents the actions of the larger sports world, where the physicality and competitive prowess has, more often than not, been taken out of the female athlete. In contrast is Game Face: What Does a Female Athlete Look Like?, a collection of photographs and stories co-curated by Jane Gottesman and Geoffrey Biddle, celebrating the relationship of women and girls to sport. This living visual counter culture asks the question: “What do girls and women look like, freed from traditional feminine constraints, using their bodies in joyful and empowering ways?”