A Film for the Theatre/A Theatre for the Film, 2018.
12’ x 14’ x 8’
Fiberglass-reinforced plaster, wood, steel, aluminum and cast urethane.
A Film for the Theatre/ A Theatre for the Film combines a replica of a prop from Charlie Chaplin’s film City Lights, and elements of the ornate Los Angeles Theatre’s facade in downtown LA. Chaplin financed the theatre’s construction so City Lights could premiere there.
The stories of the building and the film are intertwined, as Chaplin financed the construction of the theater, rushing the construction so that it would be complete for the premiere of his film.
Detail, showing cast-urethane nose and boots. The boots and nose reference a series of rude gestures Chaplin’s character makes during the unveiling of a public sculpture at the start of the film. Chaplin plays a tramp, and is revealed sleeping on the lap of the central figure when a tarp is removed during the dedication of the sculpture.
A Film for the Theatre/ A Theatre for the Film, 2018
Detail view of front.
A Film for the Theatre/ A Theatre for the Film, 2018
Detail, showing cast-urethane nose and hand of kneeling figure.
A Film for the Theatre/ A Theatre for the Film, 2018
Detail of boots on seated figure's lap.
A Film for the Theatre/ A Theatre for the Film, 2018
Rear view.
A Film for the Theatre/ A Theatre for the Film, 2018
Rear detail.
A Film for the Theatre/ A Theatre for the Film, 2018
Front view.