Dave Panhandling Possibly 1988 - 1994

This black and white photograph, Dave Panhandling, was captured by Jim Goldberg, sometime in the late 20th century. It freezes a moment on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where Dave lies prone, hand outstretched, while oblivious tourists stroll by. I wonder what it felt like for Goldberg to make this image? Did he feel like an intruder, or complicit in a kind of performance? It’s a document, but it’s also a composition, right? Look at the way Dave's body echoes the star under him. What is fame anyway? And what does it mean to be famous, or invisible, in a place like Hollywood? The picture is full of stark contrasts, between foreground and background, poverty and wealth, visibility and invisibility. And what about that hand? It is raised in supplication, but it also seems to mimic those classic Hollywood poses of the past, the jazz hands, the star reaching for the sky.