Screening Alex Harsley's Photodirect
introduced by Tabitha Thorlu-Bangura
15.04.2026
Wednesday 15th April, 7–8.30pm
Join curator and programmer Tabitha Thorlu-Bangura for a special presentation of selected moving image shorts from Photodirect, the acclaimed YouTube series by artist Alex Harsley (b. 1932, USA).
Selected by LA Timpa, the Photodirect series is a compelling collection of film and video shorts, ranging from diaristic fragments and collage-like edits to grainy glimpses of downtown New York and its Black communities across decades. Using a classic 35mm SLR camera, and video camcorder, Harsley seamlessly moves between everyday life, after-school projects, and his neighbourhood of close artist, musician friends working, performing, and gathering notably with Terry Adkins, Vincent Smith, David Hammons, Curtis Cuffie, Dawoud Bey, Steve Cannon (writer), Cynthia MacAdams, Sun Ra, Candida Alvarez, and Andres Serrano; these works offer a textured, often unfiltered portrait of people and environments that might otherwise go undocumented.
Moving away from everyday reality, Harsley began producing a more fragmented and experimental body of work, culminating in First Light (2000–2020), which was subsequently compiled into a feature-length film. Harsley describes these studies as depictions of the cosmos, an altered reality and an exploration of the origins of time as image, where form gradually disintegrates into an expressionistic field of matter. This ambitious project emerged over two decades of shooting, layering, dissolving, and collaging images. Complex montages of flickering visuals and lo-fi early computer graphics are paired with Harsley’s musical scores. Each sequence pulses like a kaleidoscope, folding in on itself to generate vivid, shifting imagery, resulting in a richly psychedelic cinematic experience.
Photodirect illuminates Harsley’s 60-year career as a photojournalist and his contributions to the community of hundreds of Black and migrant artists in his neighbourhood, including founding and running the East Village’s artist-run 4th St Gallery and Minority Photographers, Inc. Since 1956, Harsley has captured Black political leaders, musicians, everyday life in Harlem, and countless cityscapes, amassing thousands of images. He continues this legacy today, offering a compelling visual record of the city and its people through his unapologetic lens.
Drawing inspiration from this series, artist LA Timpa invited Harsley to create a video work for a track on his forthcoming 2026 album. The track and its accompanying video will premiere during the final stage of the event, as part of his solo exhibition Come Back.
Tabitha Thorlu-Bangura is a curator and programmer from London, specialising in independent music and contemporary culture. She led the internationally celebrated NTS Radio for twelve years, most recently as Director of Music & Programming, and is the founder of interdisciplinary platform Sabi Arts, presenting projects at institutions including TATE Modern, Haus Der Kunst, ICA London, Somerset House and beyond. As Music Director/ Supervisor, her credits include 'The African Desperate' (dir. Martine Syms), 'A Radical Duet' (dir. Onyeka Igwe), and the dance productions 'GONER' and 'AIR BODY SAD' (choreographed by Malik Nashad Sharpe). Her Book 'After Hours: Clubbing on Cinema' was published in April 2026 by Batalha Cinema Centre, focusing on the filmic depiction of nightlife and club culture (co-edited with Ana David and Maria Ferreira).
Alex Harsley is a pioneering New York based photographer, curator, and founder of the 4th Street Photo Gallery, one of the city’s longest-running artist-led spaces. His practice spans documentary and street photography, capturing everyday life in Harlem and the wider African diaspora. Alongside his artistic work, he has been a vital community figure, creating platforms for emerging artists and fostering dialogue around social justice, culture, and representation. Exhibitions include Alex Harsley: ‘The First Light From Darkness’, Pioneer Works (Brooklyn), 2021, ‘A Visual History of the Lower Eastside / East Village’, June Kelly Gallery, New York (2014), ‘New York Landscapes’, Fourth Street Photo, and ‘New York, 44 Years of Photographic Images of New York City’, Fourth Street Photo, New York (both in 2005).
For all press and access related inquiries, please contact Annabelle Mödlinger, annabelle[at]cellprojects[dot]org.
