Muhammad Ali, a life in pictures by Magnum photographer Thomas Hoepker | Contact (6/9)

Contact sheets are the first overview for the photographer of what he has captured on film. They give a unique and intimate view of the style, methods and thoughts of the artist.
Cartier-Bresson himself, founder of the Magnum Photo agency, was strongly opposing the disclosure of his contact sheets and yet the choice of that picture is the point of contact between the photographer's life, thoughts, philosophy and the subject he portrays.
What is the story behind the most famous iconic photos
from around the world? A unique and fascinating journey into the forbidden city of the contact sheets of the world renowned photographers from Magnum, the legendary agency founded in 1947.

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German photographer Thomas Hoepker, reveals the story behind one of the most iconic pictures in the history of sports: the portrait of boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
Thomas Hoepker was born in Germany, where he moved around a lot during his childhood, the family following his father, journalist. he discovered his passion for art and especially for photography when his grandfather gave him his first camera. he later studied art history and became a journalist.
His photos document the hustle and bustle of his time, the 60s and 70s. A proponent of honest photojournalism, he photographed the major events and personalities of the international scene such as Andy Warhol. His style is recognizable at first glance, with bright colors and rich tones.
As a journalist, he applies himself to photographing and capturing everyday situations.
His departure for the United States in the 1960s was a journey of discovery and exploration for him where he shaped his photographic style. And it was also the starting point of one of his greatest encounters, that with The Greatest, Muhammad Ali.
Right away, Ali attracts his attention, he finds behind the champion's stature an interesting and a bit strange man. Ali, then Olympic gold medalist and world champion, is the center of attention in America. Thomas Hoepker leaves for Chicago to follow the boxing champion in his daily life, and to photograph both his private and public life. He tells the story of his meeting with Ali, who recently converted to Islam. Hoepker photographs the most famous and iconic pictures of the boxer during his trips with Ali. He shares with the American people moments from Ali's life, photos of a rare honesty and authenticity that characterizes Hoepker's style. We discover Ali far from the ring, surrounded by his family, but also his militant side. In a racist America of the 60's, where segregation is still in place, Ali fights against racism and inequalities alongside Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. He captured also intimate moment such as the blossoming of his love for his future third wife, Bellinda, waitress at a bakery store at the time.
After his report on Ali, Thomas Hoepker continued his exploration of American society, through images of routine daily life, photos resembling Edward Hopper's paintings with those faces full of solitude.

Original title: Contact - Muhammad Ali by Thomas Hoepker
2014 © Licensed by First Hand Films

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