Art Shay (b. 1922) is a photographer and writer who has captured and helped define the American experience for the better part of seven decades. He shot pictures regularly for Sports Illustrated, Time, Life, Fortune, the Saturday Evening Post, Forbes, Business Week, Parade and The New York Times Magazine.

A Bronx native who now resides in Deerfield, Ill., Shay has photographed seven U.S. Presidents and other major influencers of the 20th century including such notable sports figures as Mohammad Ali, Nelson Algren and Marlon Brando. In addition to his remarkable photography, Shay has published more than 70 books on various subjects. He has also written weekly columns for various newspapers and authored several plays.

We were lucky to spend a day with Art, and I shot and edited this video as an introduction to an exhibit of his work at Hanson Dodge Creative in late June. For more information about the exhibit, visit hansondodge.com/shay