
I first met Alex Harsley in the early 1970s when I drifted into his storefront gallery space in New York's East Village. Not sure at first what to make of the widely eclectic work he was doing--photographs mounting to planks of tree trunk, montage printing of images made in different historical eras, nudes, haunting cityscapes--I nonetheless continued to return to the space, eventually striking up conversations with Alex that lasted for hours. He then began to reveal just how much he knew about not only photography but the vast world of knowledge in general. Quite often the conversations turned into the verbal equivalent of Sun Ra's intergalactic music as he ranged widely and freely over a vast range of subjects...often in one sentence! I came to understand that his photographs evinced a similarly restless pursuit of information and ideas.
From attending openings and exhibitions there I began to meet other photographers, and the beginnings of a supportive community began to take shape. Among those I met having their first shows were Abelardo Morell, Spencer Tunick, Wayne Sides, Suleiman Ellison, and numerous others. A shy Andres Serrano came by one day bearing his portfolio, hoping to get a show. His girlfriend at the time, Julie Ault, did most of the talking. Harsley ended up including him in a group show that he curating for another alternative space in New York. Robert Frank frequently dropped in with his wife June Leaf. At a time when there were almost no other places where one could show their photographic work, 4th Street Photo Gallery was a welcoming presence, a place where one could seek feedback and support. In more recent times one could find artists David Hammons, Willie Birch, the late Vincent Smith and others holding forth for a few minutes or hours. Guitarist and Black Rock Coalition co-founder Vernon Reid had a show of his photographs there as well. Alex is still there. You can find him most days in the gallery/studio (67 E. 4th Street), working on one of his fanstastical and haunting extended video pieces, or scanning and archiving his vast store of negatives. Stop by. He can certainly tell you a thing or two about how it all began...and give you his subjective sense of where it's at now.
(Photo: Alex Harsley Self-portrait, circa 1955/1956)
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