Output details
34 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
University of Plymouth
Chez Paulette on Sunset Strip: The Coffee Caper
Exhibition and Film
Chez Paulette and the After Dark Lure was supported by Arts Council England and continues Lewin’s exploration of the interconnection of family and screen history, archival research, interviews and fictional recreations. The project explores various lines of enquiry, such as the launch of the European style coffee house in Los Angeles, the experience of the Jewish immigrant in Hollywood, the idea of performing one’s identity along with how Jewishness was represented in films and television of the era, the influence of Hollywood on Europe, and the blurring of fact and fiction and the real and the reconstructed.
The installation featured a projected film of a detective story about identity that is shot in recreated sets of Chez Paulette along with the iconic detective office from 77 Sunset Strip. The set of Chez Paulette was reconstructed in the gallery so that visitors could view the film and hang out and sip espresso in the same setting of the film. It also functioned as a café for 2 hours a day with weekly music and literary events. The installation invited people to act as both viewers and participants.
