CHELSEA NOW
By Gerald Busby
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| The Rubin Museum of Art’s Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room allowed Gerald Busby to disappear “into wordless peacefulness.” | Photo by David De Armas |
When I discovered the Rubin Museum of Art in 2007, three years after it opened, major renovation had already begun at the Chelsea Hotel, my home for over 30 years, and I faced the alarming possibility of eviction. Something guided me to the Rubin, whose atmosphere I found serene. It was the perfect counterpart to the banging, crashing, and drilling that daily intruded on my consciousness through the walls, ceiling, and floor of my apartment. The Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room was where I went to find calmness. In the Shrine Room “I” disappeared into wordless peacefulness. Calm versus chaos — the Rubin Museum versus the Chelsea Hotel — was the context I created to deal with the stress I felt. The Chelsea Hotel and the Rubin Museum of Art have been the arenas where my worst demons have actualized and reshaped themselves into string quartets. I’m grateful for this experience. [
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| Exploring aspects of consciousness and perception, “Brainwave: The Future is Fluid” events run through April. | Image courtesy of the Rubin Museum of Art |
