Fame Cafe, Hollywood Possibly 1990 - 1994

"Fame Cafe, Hollywood" was captured by Jim Goldberg, likely using a film camera, as indicated by the print's materiality. The image's grainy texture evokes a sense of grit and authenticity. The image harnesses the stark contrast of black and white which highlights the cafe's tired interior and the solitary figure of the worker. The focus on a mundane scene—a worker in a near-empty cafe—reflects a broader commentary on labor and the service industry's role in the myth-making of Hollywood. It also shows how an image, made through a mechanical, reproducible process, can bring out the social context of labor and class. By looking at Goldberg’s practice, we realize that the choices of materials and techniques are essential for understanding the full meaning of the work and challenging traditional distinctions between art and social documentation.