Hollywood Jazz
Located on Vine St. directly in front of the Capitol Records Building in Hollywood, the mural endured decades of sun, smog, and shifted geography. It faded to a point where Wyatt saw outline marks of the original design. In 2011, Wyatt was able to restore the mural with the use of 2,288 12-inch square ceramic tiles to increase the longevity of the mural. Instead of the nine months that it took to paint the original Hollywood Jazz, the restoration effort took fifteen months to complete because of the complex firing process of the ceramic tiles. As described by Wyatt, “I had to improvise with the placement of these tiles, just like these great jazz musicians did their entire careers.” Capitol Records commissioned the restoration because Frank Sinatra and Nat Cole King, artists depicted in the mural, frequently recorded in their building. They considered their restoration efforts a tribute to jazz and a way to preserve the history of Hollywood.
Written by Jorge Gonzalez, c/o ‘24