Hotel Chelsea, New York. First Floor, North, 2011

Victoria Cohen  

This artwork captures the serene simplicity of a minimalist interior. At its core, a round, sky-blue table boasts a luminous, reflective surface, creating a subtle interplay of light and shadow. On the table rests a retro telephone, evoking nostalgia, alongside a sleek, empty glass pitcher that adds an element of transparency and grace. Two unadorned black chairs flank the table, their stark design accentuating the composition's focus on geometric clarity. The muted beige wall background serves as a tranquil canvas, allowing the vibrant table to stand out. The piece invites contemplation, provoking thoughts on isolation, communication, and the passage of time. Its precise alignment and balanced structure highlight the beauty in everyday objects, transforming the mundane into a profound visual experience.

Photographs from the photography book entitled Hotel Chelsea (publisher pointed leaf press 2013). Unframed. More Sizes and Editions:  Small: 20 H x 30 W in. Edition of 15 + 2AP. Large: 40 H x 60 W in. Edition of 6 + 2AP. *Extra Large size available in Edition of 3 (by special order)

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.