A closer look
When the mainstream 1960s film industry inevitably slammed its doors in her face for the dual crime of being avant-garde and a woman, Shirley Clarke didn't complain. Instead, she took over a penthouse at the Hotel Chelsea and transformed it into the ultimate rogue production studio. She provided editing equipment, shelter, and networking for a massive swath of the New York underground scene, proving that the best way to beat the studio system is to just illegally run your own out of a living room.
