![frank ocean blonde album cover painting frank ocean blonde album cover painting](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b3/fd/99/b3fd990fefdaf449da500dc3c27183d1.jpg)
Two quarantined travellers in the same room making a thumbs down gesture out of their windows in the Radisson in London in February 2021. Rather, it’s more likely he’s working on other things, treating the space like an art studio just like his fellow residents (he’s collaborated with a number of visual artists, including Wolfgang Tillmans, who shot the cover of his last album, Blonde). No one has heard any new tunes blasting through the old walls. It’s unclear exactly what projects he’s working on, though sources say there’s no indication that he’s working on a new record in his new flat. Wet Paint can reveal that the enigmatic pop star Frank Ocean has taken a studio in the building, and is often seen ducking in and out of the space during the week. Now there’s a new guest star to turn some heads in the neighborhood. When Lucien Smith opened offices in the building for his trailblazing art incubator, Serving the People, the gallerist and downtown legend Leo Fitzpatrick summed up the vibe of the building’s history in a pithy Instagram comment: “Canal Street Melrose Place.” Currently in the building are the artists Chad Moore, Aine Vonnegut, Erik Wysocan and many others. Tony Cox’s hush-hush project space, Club Rhubarb, hosts infrequent bursts of wildness in a tiny space.
![frank ocean blonde album cover painting frank ocean blonde album cover painting](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51kMSh6eCML._SL160_.jpg)
Until recently, the artist Peter Sutherland had his studio in the building, and ran a project space, Pray for This Gallery, out of the second floor. McGinley is still there, even if his beloved diner across the street, Cup & Saucer, closed a few years back. Artist Jeff Elrod spent time in the building, as did the creative director Babak Radboy. The space wasn’t completely off the map for artists- James Siena had been on the fifth floor of the building for decades, and his floor-mate was the publisher Harlan & Weaver-but McGinley and Colen’s move from the East Village sparked a shift that would inform a larger cool-kid migration deeper into Chinatown.Ĭolen moved into new digs after a few years, but the spirit of the place as a haven for downtown art types endures. The legendary run began in 2003, when Ryan McGinley and Dan Colen shared a loft on the second floor of the then-desolate corner of Canal and Eldridge. If you have a tip, email Nate at įor the last two decades a Chinatown building on Canal Street, surrounded by noodle shops and cut-rate bus services, has low-key held sway as a bustling hub of downtown art-world activity. Every week, Artnet News brings you Wet Paint, a gossip column of original scoops reported and written by Nate Freeman.