Freddy often stayed at the Chelsea Hotel on 23rd Street. This is a magnificent building, an architectural wonder, with beautiful wrought iron sunflower balconies.

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The hotel staff there was always sympathetic and encouraging to painters, writers, actors, musicians and artists of every variety. Over the years these artists had given their work in appreciation: everywhere in the interior was evidence of some of the very talented people who had stayed there – some had become permanent residents.

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Dylan Thomas had died there; Arthur Miller stayed after divorcing Marylyn Monroe; Leonard Cohen who wrote the song “I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel...”; Allan Ginsberg, Rothko, and a myriad others. Abstract and intaglio artist Bernard Childs and his wife Judith, now widowed, have lived there since 1966. Warhol's magazine 'Interview' was produced there. Even Quentin Crisp, the artist's model, from Chelsea, London, UK, stayed there. More recently the distinguished painter of dancers and dogs, David Remfry, had a studio on the top floor with his wife Caroline Hansberry, but has since relocated to London.

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The number of amazing people who have stayed there, lived there, worked there, is truly phenomenal: it was a cauldron of creativity.

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This bohemian centre has, in the last two years, been sold to a group of entrepreneurs who intend making it into a 'boutique' hotel with all mod-cons.

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The interior has been ripped apart and hardy residents led by Judith Childs, have formed a protest group, which escalated to such an extent that it has been resold to a more sympathetic management. Lola Schnabel, daughter of Julian, writes:

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“The Chelsea is a cultural landmark, but all the spirit of creativity, all the poetry and the music that has come out of this place has just been bleached out in a matter of days. It's a tragedy.”

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The protest movement and blogs are on Twitter and Wikipedia. Three paintings by Freddy are there too, including the one in this exhibition.