Ken Heyman, “Give back the birth to the mother” – a midwife at Madison Ave Clinic, New York City, 1982, 16 x 20 in., photograph, Bowdoin College Museum of Art.
Ken Heyman, a master at photographing relationships, shows an unbiased, candid view of childbirth. The light in the photograph primarily highlights the birthing mother and newborn as the subjects of action. The placenta-covered newborn, human discharge, and graphic, bodily connection between mother and child document the grueling action that the mother must endure. This piece acts as a step forward for the appreciation for childbirth and honest representation of the gore that the media rarely sees. However, Heyman positions himself in such a way that the viewers are unable to see the mother’s face. After a heroic battle, isn’t the mother the most deserving of attention? Instead, her hunched body takes the shape of a birthing animal, and her outstretched arms hide her face. A man, presumably her partner, and the midwife can be clearly seen even though they are not the ones performing the action. Without seeing the mother’s face, she becomes impersonal, like a tool executing its utility.