The Chelsea shuffle

Hulbert Waldroup's studio across the street from the Gagosian Gallery on W. 24th St. (Ranard's Picture Show for Chelsea Now)

Hulbert Waldroup thought he had a good idea. Across the street from the Gagosian Gallery, on 24th St. between 10th and 11th Aves., BJ’s auto-mechanic shop and parking garage was about to be torn down, and the small taxi deli next door had already moved out.

So Waldroup plunked down $1,200 for rent and rented the unheated space without a toilet. He moved in his paintings and hoped for the best. After all, across the street, Gagosian was selling work for six to seven figures. But, alas, Waldroup learned a hard lesson: Proximity by itself doesn’t sell paintings. He decided not to rent the empty space for another month.

This spring, BJ’s will be no more, and a condo building will begin to rise with apartments probably selling for the price of the huge Andy Warhol paintings currently on exhibit at Gagosian.

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