The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce honored artist Tristan Eaton for giant mural on the side of the Aster Hotel in Hollywood.
By Karen Ostlund
Eaton was the artist to immortalize the culture in mural form at the corner of Hollywood & Vine in Hollywood, August 25 2022.
“With
this mural I’m hoping to show that in parallel to mainstream Hollywood
culture runs a lesser-known underground current that has always been
there, challenging the mainstream, and it's well worth celebrating in
its own right.” said Eaton.
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| Tristan Eaton's mural at Hollywood and Vine corner of The Aster Hotel. |
LA native artist Tristan Eaton unveiled his newest contribution to the city-scape in a heart-warming display of community and support. The eye-catching mural, at the iconic corner of Hollywood and Vine, showcased the gritty side of Hollywood as Comic book legends, LGBTQ history, indie film darling Divine, the Black Cat–the site of the infamous Gay Rights protest, a vintage Gay Rights Poster and the AIDS awareness poster from the 80s.
Hollywood legends cover the building of The Aster, ranging from Eazy-E
to Joan Didion. Sections honor Psychedelic Artist Stanley Mouse,
Legendary comic book artist Wally Wood, and Pioneering Mexican muralist
David Alfaro Siqueiros.
The Aster has built a new 95,000 sq.ft
adults-only members’ club and a luxury boutique hotel, operated
by hospitality group, Salt Hotels. The hotel features amenities such as a
screening room, pool, cabaret room, lounges, salon by renowned hair
stylist Jonathan Antin, work-spaces, and a recording studio.
In order to truly capture the often forgotten subcultures of Hollywood,
Eaton has packed the mural with references from Big Daddy Roth’s RAT
FINK to Legendary Street Photographer Estevan Oriol.
The mural
becomes a love letter to Hollywood in all of its forms, featuring
skateboard culture with attention to Dogtown, low-rider culture, and
nods to the punk scene with reference to Repo Man and Suicidal
Tendencies,
Two movie stars, Sidney Poitier and Judy Garland are the most prominent subjects of the mural.The mural also recognizable Los Angeles designs including
Eames Industrial Design patterns and California designer Frederick
Usher.
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| The ribbon cutting and reception radiated the very enthusiasm for Los Angeles and deep-rooted appreciation for its history that the mural itself was created to express. In attendance, Judy Garland’s family, daughter and actress Lorna Luft and Garland’s granddaughter Vanessa Richards and two great grandsons. Luft was impressed, and happy to see Judy represented in her adult phases. She also mentioned how great it was that Sidney Poitier and Garland sit high in the sky together, because they were friends and appreciated each other very much. |
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| Artist Eaton was honored by the City of Los Angeles via representatives from Mitch O’Farrell’s office and the Hollywood Chamber, each providing their own certificates of recognition. Eaton’s own family was in attendance as well as the greater Los Angeles art community, contributing to a warm and welcoming feel. |
After the ceremony, guests were taken upstairs at The Aster to enjoy Calirosa Tequila, Rosaluna Mezcal, and Topo Chico, while eating legendary Randy’s Donuts and enjoying the soundtrack provided by DJ NuMark.
The unveiling of the mural gathered attendees like Everest, CRYPTIK, Artist Chase, RABI, Shantell Martin, and Estevan Oriol, all of whom enjoyed a pure celebration of this wonderful city and the 5-story love letter Eaton has created.
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| Artist Tristan Eaton, Lorna Luft and Vanessa Richards. |
The piece is dedicated to female design trailblazers like graphic designers April Geiman and Sheila Levrant de Bretteville, illustrator Betty Brader, and Hollywood Bowl graphic designer Deborah Sussman.
Of course, the mural wouldn’t be complete without some of the landmarks that make up LA’s cityscape. Important iconography includes Randy’s Donuts, the LA City Seal, the Cinerama dome, Capitol Records, Griffith Park, and the Los Angeles Theater.
TristanEaton.com
