{"id":352,"date":"2024-02-28T12:00:47","date_gmt":"2024-02-28T13:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bikaner-hotels.com\/?p=352"},"modified":"2024-03-31T03:33:47","modified_gmt":"2024-03-31T03:33:47","slug":"who-is-alex-harsley-the-east-village-photographer-whos-seen-it-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.bikaner-hotels.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/28\/who-is-alex-harsley-the-east-village-photographer-whos-seen-it-all\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is Alex Harsley? The East Village photographer who\u2019s seen it all"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

The 4th Street Photo Gallery, located in the heart of the East Village at 67 E. Fourth St., is a small space with a rich history. The founder and photographer Alex Harsley has decades of experience capturing the essence of Black pride and excellence in New York City, with the gallery\u2019s collection showcasing photos of figures such as Malcolm X and Jean-Michel Basquiat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Harsley was born in 1938 and has lived through nearly a century of political and social movements, allowing him to accurately portray the Black experience through his work. His 65 years of dedication to his art form demonstrates his desire to keep the culture alive.<\/span><\/p>\n

Harsley was confronted by a new world of possibilities after moving from South Carolina to New York City as a child.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI used to go shopping on 125th Street for record albums during the vinyl era,\u201d Harsley said in an interview with WSN. \u201cA person there was interested in photography, and I had a camera. So he allowed me to have a show in a storefront that was a photography place back in 1959.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That was the first time the world had the opportunity to view Harsley\u2019s art, and his career only rose from there. He soon made history by becoming the first Black photographer for the New York City District Attorney, after which he photographed many Black politicians like Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman in Congress. In addition to taking portraits of influential figures, he captured other moments, such as the filming of \u201cThe Godfather Part II\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI come from a place where there were no opportunities,\u201d Harsley said. \u201cI created my own opportunities for myself. Through faith and gifts and everybody else looking after me, I was able to get up to this level here, but not without their help.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A
(Maya Randolph for WSN)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Harsley values the community he created in New York City. His gallery became a hub for the growing minority photography community in the city known as \u201cthe Black barbershop of photography.\u201d His ability to connect with others and tell a story is what makes Harsley\u2019s photography collection shine.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I started doing journalism, somehow, I acquired an ability to look into other people\u2019s things, understand and come out with some sort of reasoning,\u201d Harsley said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This natural ability coupled with decades of dedication is how Harsley came to have such an impact on his community and live the life he does now.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the content I\u2019ve created out of years and years and years of work,\u201d Harsley said. \u201cIt\u2019s like being a workaholic and enjoying what you\u2019re doing. And you do it until you just flop and you wake up the next morning and keep on going.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After being in the business for so long, Harsley is comfortable with the life he has created for himself. Harsley\u2019s daughter, Kendra Krueger, assists with the upkeep of the gallery and more recently with setting up his new exhibition at the Victoria Theater in Harlem.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe grew up in this gallery,\u201d Harsley said. \u201cShe knows more about what I was doing than I know because she remembers all of that. She\u2019s seen me putting up shows. So when it comes time for her to do it, it\u2019s automatic.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A
(Maya Randolph for WSN)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although Harsley sells his art to make a living, he has reached a point in his life where he prioritizes creating meaningful content for his own enjoyment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2019m gonna put up a show, I\u2019m gonna put up the most ridiculous thing I could come up with,\u201d he said. \u201cI do statements now not about art, you know, to be able to put something up on the wall without worrying about selling it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Harsley\u2019s gallery is one of the many pieces that make up the rich culture of the East Village. Located only blocks away from many NYU buildings, the gallery is easily accessible to students who want to immerse themselves in the history of where they reside.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to all of this, I\u2019m the epitome of Black history, far outside of what people consider to be Black history,\u201d Harsley said. \u201cI consider myself the best photographer in the world, especially when it comes to who I am, what I\u2019m all about, what I\u2019m coming from.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond his gallery on East Fourth Street, Harsley\u2019s newest exhibition \u201cFrom The Victoria to The Village: A Visual History of Black Creative Spaces\u201d is running now through April 30 at 233 W. 125th St. on the first floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Contact Maya Randolph at culture@nyunews.com<\/em>.<\/p>\n

This story Who is Alex Harsley? The East Village photographer who\u2019s seen it all<\/a> appeared first on Washington Square News<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 4th Street Photo Gallery, located in the heart of the East Village at 67 E. Fourth St., is a small space with a rich [Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":354,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bikaner-hotels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bikaner-hotels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bikaner-hotels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bikaner-hotels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bikaner-hotels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=352"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.bikaner-hotels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":358,"href":"http:\/\/www.bikaner-hotels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352\/revisions\/358"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bikaner-hotels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/354"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bikaner-hotels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bikaner-hotels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bikaner-hotels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}