Hotel Chelsea. New York., 2011

Victoria Cohen  

This artwork captures an intriguing street-level view outside the iconic Hotel Chelsea, known for its vibrant red-and-white striped awning. The scene depicts a solitary woman in a white dress walking confidently on the sidewalk, her figure contrasting sharply with the muted urban backdrop. The composition cleverly uses an aerial perspective, emphasizing the geometric lines of the pavement and the canopy, which leads the viewer’s eye directly to the subject. The subtle play of shadows adds depth and texture, offering a dynamic interplay between light and concrete. By juxtaposing the historical significance of the Hotel Chelsea with the contemporary, ephemeral moment captured, the piece evokes a sense of timelessness. The artwork’s compelling use of space and perspective not only highlights the subject but also speaks to the stories and histories inherent in such a storied location.

These extraordinary photographs are part of the  the Hotel Chelsea series. The Hotel Chelsea closed its doors for the first time in its iconic history of over one hundred years. American photographer Victoria Cohen exclusively photographed the hotel's original interior before it's closure for a redesign and complete renovation. Cohen's photographic journey through this mesmerizing and extraordinary place, that possessed not only the contents of an era gone by but a palpable feeling of being transported to a time and place of this Bohemian Mecca. The result of which produced these evocative and ambitious collection of fine art tableaus. For three weeks everyday Cohen was not only photographing the rooms and halls, but experiencing a feeling of overwhelmed emotion walking the in the spaces that had been inhabited by legendary figures of the arts and culture such as Patti Smith, Robert Mapplethorpe, Jimi Hendrix, Leonard Cohen, Dylan Thomas, Andy Warhol and so many more that called these rooms home throughout its storied history. Uniquely, Cohen, with the personal insight and exceptional vision to see the extraordinary, was able to transcend the concept of an interior space as an environment filled with inanimate objects, and redefine the subject matter into individual portraits that evoke a feeling of intimacy. This prominent body of work casts the historic landmark through the lens of the twenty-first century, exhibiting it as it has never been seen before, and will never be seen again. In 2013, this monumental project was made into a world renowned fine art photography book entitled Hotel Chelsea, published by Pointed Leaf Press.

Hotel Chelsea, photographs from the photography book entitled Hotel Chelsea (publisher pointed leaf press 2013). C-print archival Unframed. Small size: 20 H x 30 W in. Edition of  15 + 2AP. Medium size: 26.6 in H x 40 in W. Edition of 10 + 2AP. Large: 40 H x 60 W in. Edition of 6 + 2AP. *Extra Large size available in Edition of 3 (by special order)