Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog

Pianist Levingston Evokes Fairies, Slays Dragons, and Departs for Rarified Points Unknown

I went uptown to Bruce Levingston’s piano recital, “Points of Departure,” at Carnegie Hall the other night, and, as usual, he put on a great show.  Though I was all the way back in the last row, and hence Bruce was but a tiny speck on the distant stage the acoustics were wonderful.  Several of our Chelsea Hotel friends showed up, and I didn’t notice any of them leaving early, so they must have had a good time as well.  (Out of delicacy, I’ll refrain from naming them, as certain of them may have been involved in romantic trysts and/or political intrigues of a highly clandestine nature.)

            Anyway, the first piece, and the one I liked best, was “Fur Alina” by the composer Arvo Part.  Minimal and straightforward, tinkling like fairy bells in the moonlight, Levingston played the piece with an amazingly delicate touch: this is the music of childhood, simple, redolent of nostalgia.  Levingston showed a quiet confidence in his own abilities and emotions, and was willing to bare them for us all, assured of their universality.  I fell under his spell.

            The Scarlatti piece Levingston played next was a perfect complement to the Part (and one could see how it had been an influence on the later composer): also delicate, but more upbeat, it set the stage for what was to come.  The Rihm piece, the New York premiere of his “Brahmsliebewaltzer,” began sweetly and then became more strident: a walk by the seashore morphing into a journey of discovery.

            The next piece was the world premiere of a tour de force called “Departures and Arrivals” by Sebastian Currier.  Undoubtedly the highlight of the evening (together with the Part selection), Levingston said he had asked Currier to write him a short piece, and the guy just basically went totally overboard and wrote this long six part work.  Nevertheless, Levingston heroically rose to the occasion.  And I mean that almost literally, for I found the piece highly agitating and somewhat creepy, composed as it was of alternating movements of disquieting jingling followed by abrupt, jarring cords.  I kept thinking of a slasher film, where long stretches of suspenseful foreboding are suddenly punctuated by a moment of extreme violence: the music set me on pins and needles, only to pounce--and sink the knife in the jugular!  I disliked this piece at first, but toward the end I was forced to accord it a sort of grudging respect, especially after the fourth movement, “a transformation,” which, although by far the heaviest and most sinister, tied the whole thing together, justifying the emotional upheaval it had (seemingly senselessly) wrought upon the listener, and propelling it to it’s surprisingly sweet and ultimately restorative conclusion.

Well, how do you follow that?  Despite the break that intervened, I was so emotionally drained by the Currier piece that I must admit I didn’t have much left for the next selection, the world premier of Charles Wuorinen’s “Heart Shadow.”  The piece was a little too complex for me, throwing in as it did everything but the kitchen sink (even the theme from Goldfinger!), and I never could quite get a handle on it.  There was certainly nothing objectionable about it, and Levingston played the selection expertly, but it’s something I would have to listen to a few times to really appreciate.

The concert closed with a couple of more reassuring pieces by Debussy and Liszt, which Levingston played to perfection.

In addition to his virtuoso piano skills, Levingston is a fine speaker, composed and welcoming, and demonstrating an infectious intellectual engagement with the music.  I liked how he put the various composers and their works into context with each other.  He’s obviously dedicated to the close study of what he’s doing as well as the technique, which is quite helpful for me in understanding where he’s going with the music.  The program for the evening also contained useful notes, penned by Bruce himself, on each of the composers.

Alas, I must admit I was a bit remiss and didn’t stick around after the show to fully gauge the crowd’s reaction—they did give Levingston a standing ovation, however, if that’s any indication.  -- Ed Hamilton

Last Chance to Catch "the Man, the Master, the Magic"

Herbert Gentry’s retrospective exhibition, entitled “The Man, The Master, The Magic” celebrating over forty years of work  will close on April 12^th, 2008. G. R. N'Namdi Gallery is located at 526 West 26th Street, #316.

"The paintings and drawings in this retrospective exhibition vary in size and range from 1964 until 2003. Gentry’s formation as a painter should be considered in light of the passion he brought to his identity as a painter, “A painter paints, a fighter fights, a writer writes,” he would say. Gentry painted his world on canvas, alluding to his fascination with the power of social relationships and the allure of the journey. His aesthetic speaks through decisive lines and a strong sense of composition.  His canvasses are intuitively descriptive of his international experiences living in Harlem and throughout Europe. He stated: “Painting is very much about sex, it’s about love, it’s about putting things together”.  The drawings featured in this exhibition, although as extemporaneous as his paintings, are more laid-back and lovely. They're filled with sinfully sinuous lines forming erotic shapes inspired by the curvaceous form of the female body." (From the Press Release) 

Rene Ricard's New Exhibit is the Talk of the Town

London's Scream Gallery, co-owned by Ronnie Wood, is the setting of Rene Ricard's latest exhibition, "What Every Young Sissy Should Know".  The typically reculsive Ricard even gave an interview to The Independent. According to Vito Schnabel, who curated the show, we need not worry if we can't make it to London he'll bring a similar show to the states later this year."

(Images from the show courtesy of http://www.screamlondon.co.uk/artists/23/rene-ricard/377/the-last-thing)

Pool Post Mortem

UPDATE -- Both Elevators Are Now Out of Service!  People are huffing and puffing up and down the stairs.  The Service Elevator is being overloaded with equipment for fashion shoots and will probably soon be out of service too!

I didn’t get a chance to check out the Pool Art Fair which took up most of the 1^st and 2^nd floor guest rooms over the weekend, but a few of our local critics weighed in: “Mediocre, what passes for art these days,” one had to say.  “Loved the video on the first floor,” another reported.  (I noticed that a none-too-subtle critic had crossed out the “P” in Pool and inserted an “F” on one of their signs.)  And on Sunday morning, one sleep-deprived short- term guest asked me if I was the person who had held that all-night party in the room next door to him.   (Really, is it worth it to annoy and inconvenience all the other guests and residents in the hotel just for the sake of a bunch of day trippers?) While walking down the stairs there was almost always a bottleneck at the second and first floors. Luckily, I live on a higher floor--although many art fair attendees seemed to feel they had the run of the hotel.  One thing is for certain: many of the people who stopped by did so mainly to get a chance to look at the hotel.  A couple of our neighbors reported that people attempted to walk into their apartments, saying things like, “Is there art in here?” (At the previous Pool show, residents complained that people were running up and down the fire escapes, whooping it up—and probably that was going on at this show as well.)  What are we now, zoo animals on display?  Many residents tried to head off the inevitable breakdown of the elevators by encouraging the visitors to use the stairs.  We hope that BD made enough money from these art folks to cover the cost of repairing the elevators – as one is currently out of service and the other is acting mighty screwy.   

Paintings Slashed

It’s hard for me to even write about this, as it shows such a lack of respect for the Chelsea Hotel and its tradition of creativity, and of welcoming a like-minded public to share in that tradition. I can only point out that such incidents are past and parcel of BD’s intentional program of neglect and of allowing the hotel to run down. The slashed paintings are by Arthur Weinstein, a fine artist who deserves better than this. Anyone with any information about this vandalism is urged to alert the proper authorities.

After the Fall

George Chemeche has written a poem which has to do with former Governor Spitzer.

After the Fall

The day the earth stood still, I understood

the importance of being sober, vigilant, and cool.

In our small town tavern, whispers had it,

Breaking News are due any time soon.

We held our breath, anticipating the impending threat.

There was talk about invisible species landing in the shopping mall.

About robust locusts hovering over Town Hall.

Rumors about invasion of body snatchers,

extra-terrestrial dwarfs, and hideous astro-monsters.

Some wondered whether falling meteors seek to crush us to dust.

Some mentioned the eruption, which leveled Pompeii.

Some, to our volcanic mountain, pointed with dismay.

From mouth to ear, the whispering increased:

Dormant bacteria and contagious disease,

yet to invade our veins via nostrils and fingernails.

Some talked about mad goats smuggled by Saudi sheiks.

Some rolled with laughter at the latter joke.

Some swore the whole hysteria is a Jewish plot.

Others blamed witchcrafts, Ayatollahs and Arafats.

Some praised the Media Age.

The bartender favored the Ice Age.

We were torn between hope and rage.

Our handy beggar declared,

" ‘Be of good cheer: it's I, he not afraid.’ "

He begged our pardon and nothing else.

Some believed it's doomsday at work.

Some jeered, "The Messiah won't meet his date."

An armchaired veteran quoted La-Passionaria's speech,

" ‘It's better to die on your feet than live on your knees.’ "

A sarcastic reply uttered from the waiter’s mouth,

"To live or die, I'm a weak-kneed patriot."

At last, a downcast governor broke the long awaited news,

"I knew not what’s right and what’s wrong. . . ”

(A giveaway wont take our breath away.)

"They ain't worth a red cent," the beggar shook his head.

Then, in a wink, Advil and Paxil took turns

to cool down our agitated nerves.

Dog tired, yet relieved, we toasted one for the road,

blessed our gracious Lord and called it a day.

George Chemeche
New york, March 13, 08

A Moment of Silence for Hiroya

Mia Hanson called to remind us that today is the 5th anniversary of the death of the Japanese painter Hiroya.  At least for now some of his art remains on the walls of the Hotel. So when you stand and gaze at the crazy graffiti paintings take a moment to recall the life of the painter. I'm sure a lot of people have Hiroya stories that they may want to share so add them to the comments section.












 

OPENINGS

G.R. N’Namdi Gallery is pleased to announce the Opening Reception for Herbert Gentry’s retrospective exhibition, entitled “The Man, The Master, The Magic” celebrating over forty years of work on February 15^th, 2008 from 6 until 10 pm.  This retrospective exhibition runs from February 15^th - April 12^th, 2008. The opening reception is sponsored by Uptown Magazine and Martell. The Gallery is located at 526 West 26th Street, #316.

"The paintings and drawings in this retrospective exhibition vary in size and range from 1964 until 2003.
Gentry’s formation as a painter should be considered in light of the passion he brought to his identity as a painter, “A painter paints, a fighter fights, a writer writes,” he would say. Gentry painted his world on canvas, alluding to his fascination with the power of social relationships and the allure of the journey. His aesthetic speaks through decisive lines and a strong sense of composition.  His canvasses are intuitively descriptive of his international experiences living in Harlem and throughout Europe. He stated: “Painting is very much about sex, it’s about love, it’s about putting things together”.  The drawings featured in this exhibition, although as extemporaneous as his paintings, are more laid-back and lovely. They're filled with sinfully sinuous lines forming erotic shapes inspired by the curvaceous form of the female body." (From the Press Release) 

man-laï and the Catalan Institute of America invite everyone to a book presentation and reception: XAVIER CARBONELL "fragments". Painter Xavier Carbonell will be attending the reception and signing books. “fragments” has been published in celebration of this exhibition of new work by the artist. Copies of the book will be available free of charge on a first come first serve basis.  Friday, Feb. 15, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
JADITE Galleries, 413 West 50th Street, NY NY






The Pavel Zoubok Gallery at 533 West 23rd Street in New York is hosting a May Wilson retrospective exhibition from February 15 - March 15, 2008 (opening reception on February 15, from 6 to 8 pm). It was under May Wilson's bed (After a stint living in the Chelsea Hotel, May moved into the building next door) that Valerie Solanas stored the gun she used to shoot Andy Warhol.

During the 1960s Wilson's work was included in Martha Jackson's "New Media New Forms: In Painting and Sculpture" exhibition which featured the works of artists that were often referred to as "Neo-Dada" or "New Realists" before the term "Pop Art" was adopted in the United States.

Wilson was also the subject of the excellent 1969 documentary, Woo Who? May Wilson, from which the current exhibition takes its name.

The exhibition at Pavel Zoubok is running in collaboration with the May Wilson exhibition at the Morris Museum in New Jersey.

Monsoon Season Indoors for Noted Chelsea Hotel Artist

The ceiling in artist Michele Zalopany’s Chelsea Hotel apartment/studio has a leak—or rather several leaks.  There’s a two-foot hole in her living room ceiling where the water pours through--buckets when it rains.  Michele had to climb up on a ladder herself and remove the cracked and drooping plaster so it wouldn’t fall on somebody’s head.  She lately had to move her heavy couch from under the hole as well, to keep it from being soaked through.  On the other side of the living room there’s another large leak where water has seeped in through the ceiling and run down the wall, peeling the paint and bubbling up the plaster, which looks as if it could start falling anytime now.  And in the bathroom there’s yet another enormous leak where water streams in.
         Michele, a successful artist who also teaches at Harvard, says she approached the hotel’s Director of Operations Glennon Travis in August of 07—when she returned from a trip abroad--and he assured her that he’d take steps to rectify the soggy situation.  In her only contact with Glennon since then, Michele says that she found him to be, “unapproachable, inaccessible, and hostile,” when she wanted to discuss an unrelated matter. 

Meanwhile, the walls in Michele’s apartment—especially the one in the bathroom--have sprouted white mold, and Michele is developing respiratory problems.  She says she has itchy eyes, and sometimes has difficulty breathing, which makes it hard to sleep at night.

In my work for Chelsea Now, I visited several SROs in the Chelsea area where the landlord had purposely punched holes in the roof to introduce leaks into the building (a common tactic used to empty a building of rent stabilized tenants) and the leakage in Michele’s apartment was comparable to some of the worst I have seen.  Although there’s no indication here that the leakage was purposely caused, Michele says that when Stanley was in charge he could be counted on to send up the painter and the plasterer every few months to fix up the holes.
         Now, however, because the situation has been allowed to deteriorate for the past seven months, spot repairs probably won’t do the trick anymore.  (Michele knows of at least one other person on her floor who is enduring a similar situation.)  The bottom line is, the roof needs to be repaired.  And although this may present some problems because of the roof garden directly above Michele’s apartment, it simply has to be done, as every tenant in New York City is entitled to a warm, dry apartment that doesn’t make him or her sick.  “Marlene Krauss spoke about all the improvements that the new management is doing,” Michele pointed out, “and then when it comes down to the facts, they aren’t doing jack.”

Ching Ho Cheng in Yishu: Chelsea Hotel Artist is Subject of Revival

This month’s Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art features an article on the painter and former Chelsea Hotel resident Ching Ho Cheng (January 2008, by Jonathan Goodman).  Two of the pictures of Cheng’s work (The Cloud and Alchemical Process ) that appear in the issue were taken at the Chelsea.
            Some of the longer term residents of the Chelsea will certainly still remember Cheng.  A friend of former Chelsea luminaries such as painter and good witch Vali Myers and poet and photographer Ira Cohen, Cheng traveled widely in Europe, but always returned to the Chelsea while in New York.  Born in 1946, Cheng came with his family to New York at the age of five when they fled the communist revolution.  He studied painting and sculpture at Cooper Union and had his first New York solo show at the Gloria Cortella Gallery.  A fixture on the downtown arts scene of the 60s and 70s, Cheng was friendly with such stars as David Bowie, Lou Reed and the members of the Rolling Stones.
            As discussed in the Yishu article, Cheng had an eclectic style reflective of the wide open nature of the time in which he came of age.  From his early psychedelic works, some perhaps drug-inspired, he progressed to gouache works of “painted light”, and then on to more abstract works involving techniques of  purposely tearing and oxidizing paper to introduce notes of chance and spontaneity into his work.  (Of particular note for fans of the Chelsea are Cheng’s series of gouache paintings, seemingly abstracts, that in reality depict various representations of the window frame in his apartment at the Chelsea Hotel.)
            Viewing himself as an outsider and a creative rebel, Cheng drew on Tibetan Mysticism and the art of ancient and aboriginal cultures.  I’ll bet he had some pretty good conversations along these lines with Vali and Ira as well!

(Another interesting factoid is that Cheng helped underground filmmaker Rosa Von Praunheim shoot his film Tally Brown, New York, about Warhol superstar Tally Brown here at the Chelsea.  I was unaware of the Chelsea connection of this brilliant, unorthodox filmmaker.)
     Sadly, at the height of his creative powers, Cheng died in 1989.  His work lives on, however, as does his memory in the collective consciousness of the Chelsea.

[Thanks to Cheng’s sister, Sybao Cheng-Wilson, for providing us with a copy of the Yishu article, as well as further details about this remarkable Chelsea Hotel artist.  Most of the details about Cheng’s art are pulled from Goodman’s article.  To learn more about Ching Ho Cheng and his life and art check out his website at www.chinghocheng.com. Copies of Yishu are available at the Asia Society.]










Vali Myer painting of herself and Ching Ho Cheng