Last image, Hollywood Boulevard, 1969-1972, Avenue of the Stars 1969 - 1972

Curator: Dennis Feldman’s “Last image, Hollywood Boulevard, 1969-1972, Avenue of the Stars” presents a square, black and white photograph of a man and a boy. The print measures approximately 40 by 40 inches. Editor: It feels immediate, like a snapshot—yet the tonal range is so carefully controlled. There's a starkness in the figures set against the textured wall and the shop window displays. Curator: The composition is divided vertically. On the left, a bridal mannequin, and on the right, an array of high heels. The texture creates a visual tension with these polished, manufactured objects. Editor: And consider the labor involved in producing those objects! The implied narrative contrasts the spectacle of Hollywood with its industrial backbone, the unseen work needed for its creation. Curator: Certainly. The figures themselves, a father and son, perhaps, seem almost trapped by the consumerism surrounding them, their expressions unreadable, hinting at a deeper narrative. Editor: Yes, the very materiality of their clothing and personal effects – his cigarette, the boy's camera – speaks volumes about class, aspiration, and the performance of identity. Curator: I agree. The dialectic established through composition invites critical readings of modern life. Editor: Indeed, it invites one to reconsider the very fabric of that particular time and place.