Ken Heyman was a Magnum photographer. He shot over 150 assignments for Life magazine, has authored 54 books, and is a founder of the International Center of Photography. Through his 20-year collaboration with Dr. Margaret Mead, Heyman traveled to more than 60 countries and co-authored two acclaimed books with the distinguished anthropologist, helping define visual anthropology and revolutionizing perceptions of cultural diversity. Heyman’s contemporary work includes Hip Shots, a series of images revealing people in their most candid, simple, and purest form. His work was showcased in a dual-site retrospective at CEPA and the Albright-Knox (2007). Following the success of Ken Heyman: Being Human, CEPA was awarded an American Masterpieces Visual Arts Touring Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Heyman is represented by Sundaram Tagore Gallery in Los Angeles. www.sundaramtagore.com

Statement

It was "Kite Flying Day" in Central Park. I wandered around for a few hours and, ready to rest, I saw these two men working out. I recognized it as a picture possibility so I plopped down next to them, not showing my camera. My opening line was, "Are you two professional athletes?" They were flattered, and pleased when I asked to take their picture. They soon were doing more exaggerated poses. I took a whole roll of film while they showed off. In photography, we call this "moving in" on a subject.