Map Reading in Salamanca, 1995, is a photograph from Joy Gregory’s series, Women and Space (1988–98). It shows the artist reading a map in a hotel room in Salamanca, Spain. The series critiques societal pressures on women, in particular women’s right to claim space. The artist purposefully chose to photograph herself in what she has described as ‘borrowed’ spaces – for example public land or privately owned businesses such as hotels or boarding houses. In so doing, she claims the space as her own.
Artist Joy Gregory explores urgent socio-political issues related to themes of gender, race and identity. Her visually striking work also explores the impact of geography, history and colonisation on individuals and communities. She is interested in the ideals of beauty, prompting reflections on power, representation, and cultural memory.
ABOUT JOY GREGORY
Joy Gregory (b. 1959, England) lives and works in London, UK. She has exhibited internationally and is the recipient of numerous awards. Recent group exhibitions have included Unfinished Business: The Fight for Women’s Rights, The British Library (2020); Unearthed, Photography’s Routes, Dulwich Picture Gallery (2020). Her work is included the collections of the Tate Gallery, UK; The Arts Council Collection, UK; Victoria and Albert Museum, UK; Institute of Modern Art, Australia; and Yale British Art Collection, USA. Having won the Freelands Foundation Award in 2023, the first major retrospective of Gregory’s work will take place at the Whitechapel Gallery in autumn 2025.