Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog

Chelsea Hotel Resident Threatens Chetrit with Lawsuit Over Missing Artwork

In an article in the New York Daily News Chelsea Hotel resident Collen Weinstein discusses her unsuccessful efforts to have her husband's artwork, which was removed from the walls of the Chelsea Hotel, returned.  Her lawyer says: " In November, ... the artwork was put on a truck and that his client saw one of the works loaded and "not properly wrapped."  He says Sirkin (Chelsea Hotel Manager Lilly Sirkin) refused to reveal where the art is and that the hotel won't let Weinstein remove a mobile of her husband's that hangs on the 10th floor."

We called the cops that day in November when we saw that Colleen's paintings and other art works from the Hotel were being thrown into the back of a Budget Rental Van. Sargent Fields refused to take a report, saying it was civil matter (since when is it a civil matter when someone steals your property off of your wall and refuses to give it back).  We too (as well an many other residents) were told that if we got a signed letter from Stanley Bard stating that the Hotel did not own the item that was removed from the wall that it would be returned.  Although we provided the proof demanded the work was still not returned, and so far, we've gotten nothing but a run around from Lily Sirkin and Michael Butler. Many other tenants have received the same treatment.  Here's a pic of the license plate number of the Budget Rental Van that hauled the art away in November.  

Patti Smith Plays Guitar While the Chelsea Hotel Dies: "Die In" at Chelsea Hotel 8PM Tonite

We stole our headline from Jeremiah's Vanishing New York.  Jeremiah's brillant idea is to call for a "Die in" at the Chelsea Hotel tonight at 8 pm to coincide with Patti Smith's proposed concert in the Chelsea Hotel ballroom (Richard Bernstein's former apt.).  Patti played last night for the developers and their friends.  And tonight she is going to try to get the tenants on board with the developers program whatever it is. While the concert is going on with probably very few if any residents in attendance protesters will meet outside the Chelsea Hotel, raise lit lighters, and recite the lycris of Patti's song "People Have the Power".  Bring umbrellas in case of rain.  There may be other protests going on as well.  Stay tuned. 
Details about the Flash Mob "Die in" are here and here.
UPDATE:  "DIE IN" logo has been provided by one of the Hotel's artists-in-residence.

Chelsea Hotel Destructo-Porn : Herbert Huncke Room

Here’s what remains of Beat writer Herbert Huncke’s room.  Huncke, who inspired characters in Ginsberg’s Howl, Kerouac’s On the Road, and Burrough’s Junky, lived a hand-to-mouth existence in this rent stabilized room until his death.  He could have never afforded to live in NYC if the Chetrits of the world had had their way.  Underpaid, non-union demolition crews working with Joe and Meyer Chetrit,  Jonathan Chetrit, Gene Kaufman, and Ed Scheetz,  just to name a few of the characters involved , are taking rent-stabilized rooms off the books and destroying important chapters in New York history as they do so. 

The Union Rat is still in front of the Chelsea Hotel to protest this abuse.  Union reps are encouraging concerned citizens and supporters of the Chelsea Hotel to call Mayor Bloomberg and complain about the Chelsea Hotel situation.

The Whitewash of the Chelsea Hotel Begins

Tom Acitelli of the Observer, was here at the Chelsea Hotel on Thursday, too early to observe the Chelsea’s art collection being removed from the walls, stairwells and halls, being carted off to god knows where.  Of   course not all of the artworks that were removed belonged to the Hotel.  Some belonged to the individual tenants and they have been told to contact the Chelsea Dynasty Corp. and provide proof of ownership to negotiate the return of their belongings.  Chelsea Dynasty?  Sounds like a bad Chinese takeout joint. 

Hotel Chetrit

 

Painting by Alpheous Philemon Cole, Former World’s Oldest Man, Among Recent Art Casualties

As we stated in our post yesterday, a number of paintings were removed from the hotel on Wednesday, July 20, reportedly thrown carelessly into the back of a van and taken to an unknown location.  An artist who saw her painting being removed was able to rescue it as it was being carried out.  She reported that the paintings were being taken from Stanley’s office, which has been used for storage since our illustrious proprietor’s ouster in June 2007.  Now we have received credible reports that all the work that was in the tourist rooms has also been removed.

               One significant casualty is a painting by the artist Alpheous Philemon Cole that hung behind the desk for many years until it was removed sometime during the tenure of the new management and put into storage.  Cole, born in 1876, moved into the Chelsea at the age of 81, and lived here for 35 years until his death in 1988, at the time the world’s oldest living man at the astounding age of 112!  (Whenever anbody  asked Stanley Bard about all of the tragic deaths that had taken place at the Hotel he would invaribly deflect the question by citing the case of Alpheous Cole, the world's oldest living man, as more representative of the Chelsea Hotel experience.  Below is Claudio Edinger’s portrait of Cole, which was taken a few years before the painter’s death.)  Cole’s painting was spotted being heaved into the van along with the others.  Unfortunately, we have been unable to find a photo of the painting, reportedly a portrait of a young man.  Our readers could be of help here: if you have a photo or any information about the painting, or other paintings that you think may have been removed, please let us know.  Your help will be greatly appreciated.

               We have a few lingering questions.  Was management authorized to remove these paintings?  Were the artists contacted?  Where are the paintings being stored, and are they being stored properly?  Will artists who fear their work was among the paintings removed be allowed to visit the site to reclaim it?  Not all of the paintings hanging on the walls of the rooms were owned by the hotel, as evidenced by the artist who rescued hers.  Many had merely loaned their work to the hotel.  At the very least, management needs to provide a list of the works that were removed from the hotel. -- Ed Hamilton

(Photo Source: Photo by Claludio Edinger.)

Missing Chelsea Hotel Painting Fetches $1.4 Million at Sotheby’s

In a recent, distressing trend at the Chelsea, art works have been disappearing from the walls, some of them never to be seen again.  These fall into a few distinct categories:

1. Evicted Art: several resident artists removed their canvasses after they were evicted.

2. Trashed Art: at least two significant art works were discovered in the trash on 23^rd Street: a framed sketch of Arthur Miller by the artist Rene Shapshack; and a painting by a resident artist that once graced Stanley Bard’s office (the latter reportedly worth about $10,000).

3. Stolen Art:  paintings by two deceased artists, Herbert Gentry and Arthur Weinstein, have been reported stolen by their widows.  Gentry is a world-renowned artist, and his painting was worth upwards of $50,000.

4. Mystery Art: several canvasses have disappeared with no trace, including two by the Japanese Artist Hiroya, one a large collaborative canvas that was very popular with tourists, the other a Dee Dee Ramone tribute.

5. Sold Art: the reclining nude by Akbar Padamsee that had long hung above the door to the lobby (see photo of lobby above), and that disappeared in late 2010, has recently resurfaced.  Turns out it was auctioned off by Sotheby’s in March to an unnamed collector—for a whopping $1.4 million! 

 Padamsee’s canvas was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Montreal in 1960, and, according to Sotheby’s catalog, entered a “private collection” shortly thereafter.  Though it is not specified in the catalog, that would presumably be the collection of Stanley Bard, ousted manager of the Chelsea Hotel.
 
We are also very concerned as to the fate of two angular canvases by the Australian artist Brett Whiteley, (seen above the desk in 2008  and in 2010 in the photos) whose work has recently been commanding prices in the millions of dollars.  The last time we caught a glimpse of these paintings, they were stacked against a wall in Stanley’s office; but now, according to an  anonymous tipster, several paintings were observed being carted out of the hotel last Wednesday and taken away in a van.  Probably we will see them up for sale at Christie’s soon enough.

            For now, residents are left to stare forlornly at blank spaces on the discolored walls of our lobby and stairwell as we mourn the looting of our proud artistic tradition.  At the very least, part of that $1.4 million windfall should be used to compensate the widows whose husband’s stolen paintings formed an integral part of that tradition.

Lance Loud at the Chelsea Hotel: From the Original PBS Series, An American Family

Watch the full episode. See more THIRTEEN Specials.

Pat Loud visits her son Lance Loud at the Chelsea Hotel. Check out Warhol Superstar Holly Woodlawn who appears to be suprised by the whole production.

Dee Dee Ramone Contacts Fan From Rock-n-Roll Heaven

We found this paint ing and the accompanying note in the stairwell near Hiroya's "DE DE" painting.  Looks like the faithful punk rockers are still flocking to the Chelsea.  It also seems that Tara's dark pilgrimage was rewarded with a message from beyond. This is the first Dee Dee spirit story that has come our way, but we're sure there will be many more to follow.

 

 

"Girl with Black Balloons" Wows ‘Em at Edinburgh

Well, we’re a bit late in announcing it, but a film about under appreciated Chelsea Hotel artist Bettina was recently shown at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.  The film, “Girl with the Black Balloons” by Dutch filmmaker Corinne van der Borch chronicles Bettina’s life and artwork, the latter reputedly rejected by the Museum of Modern Art because they said it couldn’t be the work of one   person.  Though I have yet to see van der Borch’s film, I do know that the title refers to a rather large bunch of black balloons that one morning appeared mysteriously floating above Bettina’s wheelchair.  It wasn’t mysterious that they were floating, of course, since they were filled with helium, but Bettina just didn’t know how they got there. Well, at last, the mystery has been solved: I put them there!

Sandra Weimar, a German photographer, was using them for a photo shoot in Madonna's sex room for a fashion spread for one of the international edition's of Vogue and when she was done she gave them to me.  I knew Bettina would like them. 
 

Girl With Black Balloons Trailer from wondertimefilms on Vimeo

Belgians Encounter Warhol Impersonator at the Chelsea Hotel

In 1988, one year after Andy Warhol’s untimely death, Catherine Colard and her friends came over from Belgium to do a report on the surviving Warhol scene.  According to Colard, their search for former Factory regulars began at the Sotheby's sale of Warhol belongings and memorabilia. Continuing to the Chelsea Hotel, they found Warhol Superstar Viva & Allen Midgette in residence.  In the photos below, Colard poses in clothing handmade by Allen Midgette, who in turn poses as Warhol.  Midgette’s designs were inspired by both Warhol’s art and by American Indian culture.  You can find more photos on Catherine's facebook page.  Finally, check out Catherine and her friends hanging out in the famous historic lobby. Some things never change. 

Magnificent 1883 Beaux Art Mural Endangered by Chelsea Hotel Demolition

    It has come to our attention that the Chelsea Hotel  management plans to punch a hole through the ceiling of Star Lounge in the basement and up through the floor of Stanley’s office (to the west of the lobby), in an apparent attempt to extend the raucous club up into the lobby area.

      Our main concern at this point is for the structural integrity of the building, and especially for the fate of the magnificent Beaux Art mural on the ceiling of Stanley’s office, an original feature of the hotel, built in 1883. Other original features of the office include the marble floor and two fire places.   Obviously, any disturbance to the floor or the walls of the office threatens to destabilize the ceiling, which likely would result in irreparable tears to the mural, which is actually a large painted canvas that has been stretched and affixed to the ornate ceiling.  (As you can see, there are several matching canvases affixed to the surrounding walls.)  Furthermore, dust from the demolition is likely to damage the mural if great care is not taken to protect it.

      As part of his ambitious ten-year renovation project for the hotel, Stanley Bard had the mural restored in 2000.  We have been in contact with the restorer, Lisa Rosen of Fine Art Restoration, who writes to describe the costly and laborious process:

"The painting was obfuscated with 129  years of New York City smog, soot, nicotine and surface dirt.  The once transparent final layer of protective varnish had also altered, turning first yellow and then brown (see photo ).  The restorative cleaning procedure took five weeks of  intensive physical labor using 'q-tip's' and idoneous solvent to finally arrive at what you see today.   What you see now is how the painted canvas looked originally leaving the master's studio before being adhered to the hotel ceiling.

In the 1880's the height of chic was to hire Italian artists to come to New York City and decorate the splendid private mansions and elegant hotels of the Belle Epoque.  America was striving to keep up and prove itself with Old World style.  These artists were also responsible for the interior decorations of the historical villas in Newport, R.I.. 

  The Chelsea Hotel is a perfect example of the New World imitating Old World luxury.  Stanley Bard's former office in fact had originally been the Ladies Powder Room.  The painted ceiling, the stucco decorations and even the stained glass in the windows of Bard's former office reflect the suave elegance that the hotel represented."

 
     As you can see by the before and after pictures, Rosen has done a great job.  It would be a shame if this irreparable mural were lost due to careless and/or malicious action on the part of hotel management, who might have other ideas about what a chi-chi club should look like.
    

Blame the French for the Chelsea Hotel

In a recently published article, Sherill Tippins traces the origins of the Chelsea Hotel’s role as nexus of the artistic community to the French utopian socialist philosopher Charles Fourier’s influence upon architect Phillip Hubert. It’s Tippins contention that when Hubert completed the building in 1884 it encapsulated Fourier’s notion of art social – a philosophical ideal whereby artists have the role of “unifying a diverse population and guiding it forward in its evolution.”  Tippins history of the Chelsea Hotel, which will be published later this year, will show how Fourier’s ideas have anchored the Hotel throughout its many incarnations.  Below is an excerpt from the article.  

“…. the Chelsea’s physical and economic design resembled in many ways those of a standard phalanstery, so the social makeup of its Association echoed that recommended by Fourier for a phalanx in its infancy : a central core of cultivators and manufacturers, a smaller population of capitalists, scholars, and artists for the sake of economic survival, psychological balance, and spiritual growth ; and a Board of Directors manned by the wealthiest and most knowledgeable members of the cooperative. [26] At the Chelsea, located not in the country but in the midst of an urban environment then under massive construction, the “cultivators and manufacturers” were represented by real estate developers, builders, and contractors then involved in the creative process of “growing” the city -in this case including most of the people who literally built, equipped, and decorated the Chelsea itself. The “capitalists, scholars, and artists” included not only by the painters and sculptors in the fifteen top-floor studios, but by a number of musicians, actors, authors, professors, bibliophiles, financiers, and wealthy philanthropists who lived downstairs. And with a founding Board of Directors that included a well-known stockbroker, a former president of the Merchants and Traders’ Exchange, a future governor of Virginia, and the president of the company that installed the Chelsea’s innovative, patented roof, the call for a wealthy and knowledgeable leadership had been answered as well.

With an eighty-family building and a reasonably diverse population, the Chelsea stood  poised to take its place, as John Noyes had recommended, “at the front of the general march of improvement.” But the question remained : how would it go about doing this ? What kind of work was to be accomplished here ?

The answer seems to lie in the Fourierist notion of art social -the importance assigned to the role of artists in unifying a diverse population and guiding it forward in its evolution. Hints of this intention lie not only in the provision of fifteen art studios occupying the Chelsea’s entire top floor, but also in the pronounced presence of nature themes in its décor-stained-glass transoms displaying images of seashells and flowers, etched-glass door panels featuring forest scenes, hand-carved wood fireplace mantels and hand-painted tiles, a lobby hung with paintings of the Hudson River school, and exquisite wrought-iron sunflowers adorning its exterior balconies and central stairway -the latter evoking a dream of the liberated American artist as vividly as Fourier’s Crown Imperial flower represented the downtrodden artist in “civilization.”

For more of Sherill's writings about the Chelsea Hotel read the "History of Activism" section of this blog.

 

Send In Your Abbie Hoffman Stories to Help Sherill Tippins Finish Her History of the Chelsea Hotel

 

From Harry Smith & William Burroughs to Andy Warhol & Stanley Bard, Chelsea Artists of the 60s Undermined the Complacency of Mainstream Society

 

History of Activism at the Chelsea Pt. 5: Jackson Pollock Raises a Toast to the W.P.A.

 

History of Activism at the Chelsea: Pt. 4: Painter John Sloan -- Fought for Change with the Socialist Party, the IWW, and the ACLU

 

The History of Activism at the Chelsea Hotel, Part 3: Writer Herbert Croly, Co-found of The New Republic, Had Chelsea Ties

 

Activism at the Chelsea Hotel Pt. II: William Dean Howells, Employed Literary Realism as a Tool for Change

 

Activism at the Chelsea Hotel Pt. I: Architect Philip Hubert, Designed the Chelsea as an Experiment in Socialist Living

William Burroughs Wishes a Merry Christmas to All of the Junkies at the Chelsea Hotel & Elsewhere Too

Thanks to Laki Vazakas for the Holiday reminder.

Tips For Artists in The Capitol Fishing Tackle "Empty by Choice" Show

Earlier this week a commenter asked how the works in the Capitol Fishing Tackle Show address the economy.  Here's the only answer we've found so far. One of the proposed exhibits at the "Empty by Choice" show is titled “Tips for Future Occupants.”  Of the storefront, that is.  Well, we can give you two tips for the book. Ask the Bards and get a 50-year lease like El Quijote or they’ll boot you as soon as the economy recovers.  Afterall, Capitol Fishing Tackle was in that space for over 50 years and survived many recessions.  They didn't survive the legal manuevers of Marlene Krauss and David Elder. If you have any "Tips for Future Occupants" leave them in the comment box.

SPIN - CONTROLS - R - US

Oh, so now according to the Chelsea Hotel official website Nadia donated the painting to the Hotel.  (Does this mean the Hotel is back to being a non-profit organization?) I see!  So sorry for the misunderstanding!  Heads up Elder, when you try to do spin control don't link to the offending truthful story.

 

Related Coverage:
Mark L. Young Stops by the Chelsea
Good News for Chelsea Hotel Painters 
Did David Elder Play Chelsea Now?

Arthur Nash’s BBB Banner Rejected From Art Show at Capitol Fishing Tackle

Well, the worst has finally happened: though it had hung in one form or another for two years, tenant activist Arthur Nash’s BRING BACK THE BARDS banner was removed from the hotel’s façade at approximately 8:45 this morning. Kinda-sorta manager Arnold Tamasar did the honors in person, as a police officer and a security guard stood by. 
     Obviously, this was not a police matter, but rather a matter for the city agencies and the courts. The cop’s explanation for allowing the sign’s removal was that only the owners of a buiding are allowed to hang signs on the façade of the building. This is open to debate, and in fact it was being discussed with various city agencies. The cop further stated that, since Arthur didn’t have a door to the balcony (like many residents, he climbs through his window), he was not allowed go onto the balcony at all. We believe that the police officer exceeded his authority in aiding the hotel management in their suppression of Nash’s first amendment rights.
     The timing of the hotel’s move against Nash, as well as the (former) location of the banner, are significant. On the weekend of June 18, the hotel, in conjunction with No Longer Empty, is planning an art show (featuring mostly outside artists) in the former Capitol Fishing Tackle storefront. Nash’s sign was positioned on the second floor almost directly above the storefront. Obviously it would be a huge embarrassment to the hotel management to have to explain what the sign meant to everyone attending the event.
     We believe this to be an illegal infringement on Nash’s first amendment rights. Plain and simple, this is intimidation and harassment meant to stifle all dissenting voices, and as such represents the end of free speech at the Chelsea—if indeed any pretense of it remained after the ouster of the Bards.

 

 

"TALLY BROWN: NEW YORK"

Rosa Von Praunheim, the director of "TALLY BROWN, NEW YORK," is in town. He will be showing his film at the Anthology Archives this Saturday, June   6th.  Former Chelsea Hotel resident Ching ho Cheng is in this film.

TALLY BROWN was a bohemian artist and underground star living in New York. She starred in some ANDY WARHOL films and was a student friend of LEONARD BERNSTEIN. Her interpretation of "Lady grinning soul" by DAVID BOWIE from his album ALLADIN SANE is taken from the soundtrack of the wonderful portrait documentary film TALLY BROWN NEW YORK by german director ROSA VON PRAUNHEIM. (Video via Hanko)

Artists Worldwide: Stand By The Bards

An open letter to the artists planning to participate in the June 18 show in the former Capitol Fishing Tackle storefront at the Chelsea Hotel:

Although some of you may not know this, the Capitol Fishing Tackle is Manhattan’s oldest bait & tackle shop, and had called the Chelsea Hotel home since 1954.  Sadly, in August of 2006 the shop was given a rent increase of more than double its previous rent and forced to move from the Hotel.  The increase came as the direct result of pressure brought to bear by minority shareholders Marlene Krauss and David Elder on then manager Stanley Bard. 

The move did not buy Stanley much time. On June 18, 2007 the Bard family, majority owners of the Chelsea Hotel, were forced from their management role in a hostile takeover  by Krauss and Elder, eager to cash in on the short term profits promised by the superheated  real estate climate of the day.

It was a sad day for artists and friends of the arts worldwide.  The Bard family had managed the hotel since 1942, including almost 50 years by the inimitable Stanley, who is known and loved by several generations of artists who have called the Chelsea Hotel home.  Stanley’s son, David, was scheduled to take over the reins of the hotel, until he too was unjustly ousted.

The reason that you, fellow artists,  know of the Chelsea Hotel and it’s important role in the arts is because of the hard work of the Bard family.  The Bards provided inexpensive housing and a supportive environment for people in the arts for over 60 years.  They played host to the Beats and action painters of the 50s, the Warhol crowd of the 60s, and the punk rockers of the 80s, among countless others.

Krauss and Elder, on the other hand, have made clear that their intention is to evict the permanent tenants and transform the Chelsea into a boutique tourist hotel.  They are not admitting any more permanent residents into the hotel, thus ending a tradition that had endured for almost 125 years.

Because Krauss and Elder have been stymied in their eviction and renovation plans by legal action, the work of dedicated tenant activists, and the downturn in the economy, they are now trying to create good press by posing as “patrons of the arts”.  But they threw out the true patrons of the arts.

 

All of you are stellar artists.  However,  please note the date of the proposed Krauss and Elder sponsored show in the Capitol Fishing Tackle space, for it is in no way random.  You are being invited to participate in a celebration of the two-year anniversary of Krauss and Elder’s hostile takeover.  In keeping with your personal and artistic integrity, we ask that you not participate in this sham.

Good News for Chelsea Hotel Painters

Chelsea Hotel manager David Elder is now accepting paintings in exchange for stays at the famed Chelsea Hotel.  And here we thought those people lined up on the sidewalk were waiting to get into the comedy club.  It's a return to the good old days.  Nadia Bertrand told Chelsea Now that she recently turned over two paintings to David Elder in exchange for a month long stay.  "We'll take it as it goes in terms of if other people are interested," Elder told Chelsea Now.  This should give the occupancy rates around here a big boost.  We hear that the poets will still have to pay.  (Photo of Nadia and her painting by Patrick Hedlund.)

Stefan Brecht Historian of the Avante Garde Theatre, 1924-2009

We only knew Stefan in recent years when he was suffering from a form of Parkinson and we wish we could have known him earlier in his life.  Though sometimes he came across as a misanthrope Stefan had a heart of gold.  Stefan was never a Chelsea Hotel resident but he had a studio here for over two decades and made many friends here over the years. Traveling daily between the Chelsea and his apartment in  Greenwich Village he photographed the sidewalk and recorded the vibe of the neighborhood in his poems, which humanize the underside of the Chelsea neighborhood without romanticizing it in the least.  I reviewed two of Stefan’s books for Chelsea Now and that was how I got to know Stefan and his charming wife Rena Gill.  In April 2007 Stefan’s many friends gathered at St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery to celebrate the release of his two books and to remember Stefan’s long life and illustrious career in the theater.  We are all saddened by his passing.

Stefan Brecht was born in 1924 in Berlin, Germany, and came to America with his family in 1942. He earned a Ph.D. in philosophy at Harvard, and moved to New York in the early ’60s, becoming a critic and historian of avant garde theatre. Brecht marched beside the Bread and Puppet Theatre troupe, and documented Robert Wilson’s group when they met daily in a loft on Spring Street.

Brecht has written poetry all his life. He self-published his first book of poetry, “Poems,” in 1975, which led to his big break when the book was spotted by editor Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who subsequently picked it up for his City Lights Pocket Series.

The recognition facilitated the publication of Brecht’s opus, a multi-volume history of the alternative theater, “The Original Theatre of the City of New York : From the Mid-Sixties to the Mid-Seventies.” Completed volumes include “The Theatre of Visions: Robert Wilson” (Suhrkamp, 1978); “Queer Theatre” (Suhrkamp, 1978); and the two-volume study: “Peter Schumann’s Bread and Puppet Theatre” ( Methuen , 1988). A hitherto untitled volume on the theatre of Richard Foreman ( Methuen) is also scheduled for release. -- Ed Hamilton  (Photo of Stefan Brecht at the Hotel Chelsea, Room 1010, 1979 by Maggie Hopp. 

Highlights from Chelsea Hotel on Film at Anthology Film Archives

    Thanks to all involved for making the Chelsea Hotel Film Festival a success! In addition to attending the press preview for Harry Smith’s #23—a remarkable film, though one of our neighbors tells us that Harry considered it unfinished—we also stopped by the Anthology Film Archives a couple of times over the weekend to check out a few other Chelsea related offerings. 
    We heard that the premiere of #23 was well attended and that celebrities Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye were in the audience. (Patti is featured in the film.) Additionally, Chelsea Hotel historian Sherill Tippins tells us that all the screenings of Andy Warhol’s Chelsea Girls were sold out. (Actually, this is not surprising since it’s rarely shown. We skipped Chelsea Girls this time since we’ve already seen it twice.) So despite recent unfortunate events, and despite the fact that this was Easter weekend, the Chelsea is still popular!  
    On Saturday we attended the screening of Doris Chase’s 1992 documentary Hotel Chelsea. In one of the more interesting interviews, Stanley Bard speaks of how, as a young man, he resented the hotel because his father spent so much time there. Then he goes on to explain how he too gradually came to love the Chelsea. This theme surfaces again in Sam Bassett’s film, as Stanley talks about how his own son David may have initially felt pressured to take a role in the hotel’s management, when in fact he would have rather been doing something else. But the Chelsea bug gradually came to infect David as well. 
    On Sunday, Sherill Tippins introduced the screening of Robert Flaherty’s Louisiana Story, by discussing the hotel’s early years. The Chelsea was of course designed by Fourier disciple Philip Hubert as a socialist experiment in cooperative living; but one think we didn’t know was that, in addition to artists, the building also initially housed some of the financers and builders of the Chelsea. Tippins considers Louisiana Story to be the perfect Chelsea Hotel film. For one thing, it was a collaboration between three Chelsea residents: director Robert Flaherty, composer Virgil Thomson, and cinematographer Richard Leacock. For another, it embodies the aesthetic style of naturalism prevalent in the Chelsea at the time, representing a distinctly American, as opposed to European, tradition. Finally, in an expression of one of the core values of Bohemia, the film demonstrates how master craft person and Chelsea Hotel resident Robert Flaherty is passing his knowledge on to another resident, the young Leacock. 
    What we’re really looking forward to now is a showing of Harry Smith’s great Mahagonny, though we may have to wait awhile, since the folks at AFA tell us that the royalties for the Kurt Weill score of the film are prohibitively expensive. 
    For now, this will have to do!  Recorded in Chelsea Hotel, NYC, 1965. Edited, for length, as part of the Chelsea Hotel Series - Anthology Film Archives, April 2009 Harry Smith discusses hand drawn film techniques, missing films, the process of "visual music," or painting to sound. Smith also discusses borrowed cameras and the pawn shops they end up in, influences through dance and myth, surrealism, op art, and the cataloging of images and "sortilege" method. Interview finishes with the discussion of a future film idea involving Andy Warhol and a 20 minute picture of Mt. Fuji, Jack Smith, Robert Frank, Stan Vanderbeek animating aboriginal bark painting, a screenplay by Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs and maybe Allen Ginsberg, with Smith supervising. Also ideas to make and distribute underground movies to be shown in little towns. Audio transferred, compiled, and edited by Victoria Keddie (NYU) for Anthology Film Archives 04/09/09.

Long Live the Chelsea! Especially on Film & Video

In a huge show of support from one bastion of alternative culture to another, The Anthology Film Archives is presenting Chelsea Hotel on Film, a series of films about, filmed at, or created by residents of the Chelsea Hotel.  (For more info: Brooklyn Rail, NY Times, New Yorker, Chelsea Now, Village Voice, TWI-NY)
Here's the schedule:
Alex Cox, SID AND NANCY -- Punk rockers come from all over the world to burn candles in front of what they believe to be Sid & Nancy ’s door.  Whether we like it or not Sid & Nancy have become the Romeo and Juliet of the Chelsea Hotel. Sid & Nancy is the quintessential Chelsea Hotel movie if for nothing else than the spot-on portrayal of Stanley Bard. 
1986, 1112 minutes, 35 mm. With Gary Oldman, Chloe Webb and Courtney Love
Thursday, April 9 at 7:15 and Friday, April 10 at 9:15

SHIRLEY CLARKE PROGRAM
TEEPEE VIDEO SPACE TROUPE (1971); SAVAGE/LOVE (1981); TONGUES (1982)  Independent filmmaker Shirley Clarke  (the only woman to have a plaque on the front of the hotel) founded The Teepee Video Space Troupe, and operated it out of her Chelsea Hotel penthouse where her later videos were made, including Savage/Love and Tongues, which are a two-part collaboration with playwright Sam Shepard and actor/director Joseph Chaiken.
Plus: Jonas Mekas: CHELSEA FOOTAGE
Thursday, April 9 at 9:30

Harry Smith, FILM #23 --  1980s, 23.5 mintues, 16 mm. A composition of portraits, string figures and sand animation, similar to Smith’s earlier film Late Superimpositions (1964).  Recently restored with support from the Andy Warhol Foundation. Prior to this preservation only one print was said to exist. 
Plus: Michel Auder VIDEO VISIT - HARRY SMITH, ROOM #705, CHELSEA HOTEL 1971
Friday, April 10 at 7:00, Saturday, April 11 at 5:30, and Sunday, April 12 at 9:00

Doris Chase, THE CHELSEA (1993) 67 minutes, video.  THE CHELSEA is an entertaining and informative account of the eclectic personalities who resided at the hotel in 1993.  Many of them still live here!
Plus: Michael Maher BLOGGING FROM BOHEMIA (2007) In the last documentary filmed at the hotel prior to the Bard family's ouster Maher's short documentary reports on the forces of gentrification threatening the Chelsea neighborhood as seen through the eyes of the blog.  Stanley Bard discusses the pressure he's under from the minority shareholders.
Ed Hamilton & Sam Bassett INTERVIEW WITH STANLEY BARD (2008) Filmed one year post ouster Stanley Bard offers a message of hope for struggling Chelsea residents.
Saturday, April 11 at 3:00

Andy Warhol, THE CHELSEA GIRLS (1966) ca. 210 minutes 16 mm double-projection. Showcases the glamorous, drugged out personalities of Warhol’s entourage, featuring Nico, Ondine, Marie Menken, Mary Woronov, Gerard Malanga, International Velvet, Ingrid Superstar, Mario Montez, Eric Emerson, and Brigid Berlin. This is the best film ever made about the hotel and it is rarely shown so you should go down there and see it while you have the chance!
Saturday, April 11 at 7:45 and Sunday, April 12 at 5:00

Robert Flaherty, LOUISIANA STORY (1948) 78 minutes, 35 mm.
This film represents a collaboration between three talented Chelsea Hotel residents. In addition to the director Flaherty, the score was composed by Virgil Thomson and the cinematographer was Ricky Leacock. Writer Sherill Tippins will be on hand to introduce the screening and speak about the Hotel's early days.
Sunday, April 12 at 3:00

The Anthology Film Archives is located at 32 Second Avenue, NY NY

World Premier of Harry Smith’s #23 at Anthology Film Archives

It was the first showing of this film “outside the laboratory” according to the presenter, which makes me pretty lucky, I guess, since it was also my first Harry Smith film—though to gather from the conversation of the over-the-top-serious film buffs who attended Thursday’s press screening, versions of most of the images had appeared in other Smith films as well.

     #23, which consists of two rolls of film, one with a soundtrack, superimposed on each other, was discovered recently among Harry’s films in storage at the Anthology Film Archives, where he was artist-in-residence for many years.  The presenter thought it might consist of footage that didn’t end up in Harry’s famous Mahagonny; in any event it is related to that film, though one of the film buffs said that some of the footage (such as shots of a carpet and various patterns formed out of powered pigment used as background) probably dated to the forties.

     The film itself is a beautiful piece of work, and seems to tell the tale of all humanity, from birth (a young couple superimposed over a matronly woman with her crotch nearly exposed) to death (the black waters of the pond in central park, a supine figure on the Chelsea Hotel roof) as Fate, in the form of a girl demonstrating string figures, weaves her web.  There are several striking images in the film, especially toward the end, including the string-figure girl, attired in black, super-imposed on the waters of the pond, so that only the string, forever reforming itself, is clearly visible; finally, red roses are superimposed on the image of the girl.

     So, in other words, it’s worth seeing.  I don’t know how it stands up to Harry’s other work (obviously), but since this is the only thing showing at the present, go see it.  The soundtrack, one of the film buffs claimed (gee, I’m relying on these guys a lot, aren’t I), was by Johnny Johnson from the 30s with Burgess Meredith reading various WWII-related statements over the music. (UPDATE -  A reader writes: Johnny Johnson is not a composer, but the name of a musical work by Kurt Weill, who composed Mahagonny as well.)

Of interest to Chelsea Hotel aficionados: the film has some footage of Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe, and also of Naomi Levine, a Chelsea character whom old residents may remember.  Rosebud Petit, Harry’s “spiritual wife” also may have appeared, though no one was quite sure if it was her or not.   There’s also a scene at the end of the film that’s shot on the Chelsea Hotel roof (now sadly under assault by minority shareholders who want to put a club up there), apparently shot some time in the late sixties or early seventies to judge by the appearance of the actors.

[Harry Smith’s #23 is being shown as part of the Anthology Film Archives screening of Chelsea Hotel related films.  #23 will be shown Friday, April 10 at 7:00, Saturday, April 11 at 5:30 and Sunday, April 12 at 9:00]

World Premiere: The Secret Life of Fish by Gerald Busby

Barbie Turns 50 in Style with Glasses by Mercura

For the fabulous occasion she has selected funky yet stylish glasses desiged by Mercura, the design company founded by the Chelsea Hotel's own Rachel Cohen and her sister Merrilee.  The Feb. 14 fashion show will feature work by 50 designers and will be shown live on www.barbie.com

Chelsea Legend Doris Chase, 1923-2008

The Chelsea community was saddened by the recent passing of one of its legends: artist, sculptor, and filmmaker Doris Chase.  Doris moved into the Chelsea in 1972, after raising a family and divorcing her husband, and lived here for 30 years, though she split her time between  New York and her native Seattle.  Doris is most famous for her abstract sculptures, especially her nesting ovals and arches, including two large public works in Seattle : the 15-foot “Changing Form” at Kerry Park overlooking the city, and the 17-foot “Moon Gates” at Seattle Center.  
     Though perhaps her most famous film is 1985’s “By Herself: Table for One,” starring Geraldine Page, Doris is undoubtedly most well know around the Chelsea for her film “The Chelsea,” from the early 90s, when free spirits still roamed these halls.  Doris was the subject of a book, “Doris Chase, Artist in Motion: From Painting and Sculpture to Video Art,” by art historian Patricia Failing.  
   Doris died of a combination of Alzheimer’s and a series of strokes, though she reportedly kept her good humor until the end.  She is survived by two sons and their families.  The hearts of the members of the Chelsea community, her other family, go out to them.

Arnold Weinstein Throws Memorable Bash

Here’s an account of a dinner party thrown by Chelsea Hotel legend Arnold Weinstein (30-plus years in residence), Broadway librettist (“Red Eye of Love”) and famous Bon Vivant, known and loved by many at the hotel.  It seems Arnold’s dinner parties must have been quite memorable, because poet Jascha Kessler still recalls this one.  But then, it seems to have ruined Kessler’s life, as he feels he was rudely deprived of the Yale Younger Poets Award by a diabolical anti-Semitic, homosexual plot—or something of the sort—hatched between fellow diners W.H Auden and the eventual winner, John Ashbery (who if I’m not mistaken still lives in the Chelsea neighborhood).  Too bad Arnold is not around to comment on the controversy, as I’m sure he would have had something to say about it, but he passed away, sadly, in 2005, his friends celebrating his life with a memorial show at the Walter Kerr Theatre.  Well, no doubt a fine time (or at least an interesting time) was had by all! -- Ed Hamilton  (Photo: Opera News -- Bill Balcom, Arnold Weinstein and Arthur Miller at work in the Chelsea Hotel on the opera based on Miller's play, " View From the Bridge."

Santa Clause Puts in a Brief Appearance at the Hotel Chelsea

 

FILMMAKER STEPHEN KIJAK GETS PSYCHIC AT THE HOTEL CHELSEA

Scott Walker documentarian speaks to Chelsea Hotel resident Mia Hanson on the eve of the long-  awaited U.S. debut of his film, 30 Century Man.    (portrait by Mia Hanson)

It's been a very busy year for filmmaker Stephen Kijak.  He's back home in NYC just long enough to oversee the weeklong IFC screenings of 30 Century Man, his 2007 documentary on 60's pop icon turned musical enigma Scott Walker.  Anyone actively following the cutting edge of Modern music will be familiar with Scott Walker's creative evolution from his chart-topping days with the Walker Brothers to his mysterious chameleon-like turn as a highly perfectionistic singer-songwriter of dark, beautiful and challenging "operettas".   Buried forever are the approachable lovelorn anthems such as the 1966 Walker Brothers hit  "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore".  The singer's current presence in music occupies a space in which only Walker resides.  Few other composers can evoke such a polarity of emotional opinion as Scott Walker as he constructs sonic form out of punched meat sounds and bleating donkey calls.  Few other working composers are as brilliant and uncompromising, leaving both David Bowie (executive producer of 30 Century Man) and Brian Eno speechless and grasping for superlatives on film when attempting to describe their awe of Walker's scope and talent. 

30 Century Man has been winning praise at film festivals in Hong Kong, London, Sydney and Berlin (just to name a few!) while delighting Walker enthusiasts along the way with the gift of illuminating just what it might be like in the very private world of this musical enigma whose persona has been self- exiled in secrecy for decades. 

Luckily, Stephen Kijak is more open to discussing his craft.  It is clear that the documentarian seems drawn to telling the stories of idiosynchratic characters driven by their passion for the inexplicable.  In the film Cinemania, from 2002, his camera follows five film buff enthusiasts all teetering on the edge of a neurotic need to claim the dubious achievement award for who can warm the most theatre seats in NYC within a lifetime.  The film mines for gold and finds it.   You just can't make this stuff up.   Thinking about it,  it becomes more clear why Kijak would take an interest in the Hotel Chelsea, "a vital and significant cultural spot", in his own words.

One can say firsthand that Stephen knows how to stir the interests of fans to his films similarly to the way a filmmaker controls the tension and release of action within a sequence.  Intrigued by Walker's brooding compositions and psychology, I have attempted to purvey a preview copy of 30 Century Man for over a year now and Kijak is very good at controlling the time and place.  "Like all things in Scott's world, it will be worth the wait." 

And with this week's screenings at the IFC Center in Manhattan, the time is Now.

 I met up with Stephen on Wednesday at IFC for what was the first in a schedule of daily screenings up through December 23rd only.   Among all the excitement of the free giveaways during the director Q and A following the film, I neglected to mention that I have rarely seen a documentary so seductive in it's approach and I felt I was genuinely led by the hand and taken inside the sometimes lovely sometimes harrowing Walker compositions.   That night, Stephen confessed that his film had been held back for about a year in the U.S. due to miles of red tape:  "lots of song copyright issues and American lawyers".  

 

1."Why did you feel that a story on Scott Walker was important for you to tell at this time?"

On a practical level, he was about to make a new album, so the timing was perfect - and I had been such  fan for such a long time and had always tried to spread the word about his music, it was, in a way, a chance to make a cinematic mix-tape of my favorite Scott tunes and have his work communicated to a lot of people.  And there's a great story there as well, the story of the evolution of a songwriter, and in that, a lot of lessons that can be learned about the creative process and creative life.

2. "Scott Walker is still a bit of a mystery to his fans. Why has his mystique continued within the music industry for decades, even among his collaborators?"

Because he doesn't play the pop star game.  He may not be as much of a mystery as people actually think, but we're so programmed to think that musicians naturally do interviews and appear on MTV (or at least they used to!), and have this desire to be public figures, that when someone pulls away from that, especially after having achieved the level of fame he did (in the 1960's) it throws us off. Fans are greedy, we want and sometimes expect too much of an artist - so he recedes, and lets the music speak for itself.

3. "You started out in journalism. 30CM and Cinemania can be looked at as psychological pursuits in a way. What do you think?"

I don't really see it as psychological - I never want to be seen to be pathologising a subject - especially not with Cinemania -  I see film more in psychic terms,  whether its documentary or narrative, you still have to try and enter that psychic, creative space, where you try to see the actual spirit of the film, and then you try to adhere to it and give it form.  And on the other side of that is the craft, where it is more journalistic - documentary filmmaking has a long histories and many traditions, and I'm just still learning my way through that.  At the end of the day its about finding some sort of truth, and I look for an emotional truth that I hope reflects the subjects in a true way.


4. "Besides Walker, who would be the other vocalists working today that you feel are "pushing it" or really exploring something new and authentic? "

That's a hard one, because Walker isn't just a "vocalist", he is a musician, a composer, the soundworld is total.  I honestly can't think of one.  I'm more inclined to look at an artist, like, say, Anselm Kiefer- someone working in the visual arts, making conceptually rigorous and seriously imposing pieces that carry a weight of myth and history in them.  From Walker, I just spin off more into art like that.  It's hard for me to find other music to connect to it now. 


5.  "Is there any one subject that you would never personally investigate via film?"

Myself.  Filmmakers who turn the camera on themselves generally irritate the hell out of me.  I don't want to be that confronted by ego. 


6.  "Do you have any words of advice for student filmmakers that might be reading this interview?"

Yes. Celebrity lasts for a minute.  Art lasts for a lifetime.  Trends come and go, but it's the story, vision and craft that make for good filmmaking. 


7. " Lastly, I feel I should ask what is the largest misconception regarding making films today..."

That we make money doing it!


The IFC Center is located at 323 Avenue of the Americas, Manhattan.   30 Century Man shows daily through December 23rd only.  Stephen Kijak in attendance for the 7:40pm shows this Friday and Saturday.