Bey’s documentation of Harlem from 1975 to 1979 became part of his Harlem, USA series. In a series of street portraits, Bey captures residents who live their everyday lives. Bey gives no names or tales to his subjects; Instead, he lets the viewer interpret his images.
The experiences of under-represented communities are the basis of Bey’s work. Black communities in the US are arguably his most persistent issues.
The work of the late Roy DeCarava, the first black photographer to receive a Guggenheim grant, inspired Bey to make black and white prints. DeCarava also photographed mostly lower-class African American communities. In an interview with Vogue in April, Bey said, “He took photographs with his own poetic imagery, insisted on the beauty and complexity of blacks, and took photos that matched them. He became the earliest model for me. “
