Wednesday, February 4, 2009

The Hotel Bahia in Pichilemu

Welcome to the Hotel Bahia. Jim is just entering the street door. Won't you join us on a tour of the fabulous underwater garden of Maurice's hotel? Come on in! We'll show you around.
This is our friend Maurice who owns the Bahia Hotel. He was in a courtyard with lots of fish and even a surfboard behind him. Maurice explains that the underwater fantasy was created by an artist who paints ONLY with spray cans! And, he doesn't sketch it out either, he just goes to the wall and starts spraying. Simply amazing!If you would like to visit Pichilemu, Maurice's hotel would be a fantastic place to stay. We didn't know him when we first got here or we would have stayed here.
Mural art is quite popular in Chile and I am amazed at the great talent I continually find. But, I must say that the Hotel Bahia has the finest examples I have seen.

I noticed this beauty of the sea with a babe in arms just today as she is almost hidden on the dark side of the hall. And to think they were painted with stray cans. Last year this was a regular patio in the underwater garden of Maurice's Hotel Bahia. Over the winter, Maurice covered the patio and put in a bar! You can see in the background fish swimming on the walls and plants that look as if they belong under the sea. This was taken from the bar of Neptune on the opposite wall. Isn't it something else? The rooms with purple doors are situated around the bar and courtyards and hallway. All the rooms have framed ocean art on the walls. It's hard to not fall under the spell. I really like the whales! And the plants in front blend right in and seem to be an extension of the art in the underwater world of the Hotel Bahia. The first time I saw it, it reminded me of the Ringo Starr song about an Octopus's Garden. Remember that one? I can hear the tune in my head right now! Can you? Aren't these dolphins cool? Hard to believe the artist used only spray cans! Jim says, "It is Chilean taggers at their best!" And there is a chair right in front. How about having dolphins swimming behind as you sit and ponder the sea life surrounding you? A little danger adds excitement, no? Check out this shark in the hall. The plant is real. Again, a chair so you can sit with a shark going right by you.
Well, that concludes our tour of the Hotel Bahia. I hope you enjoyed it. Jim and I love to visit Maurice and his fabulous underwater fantasy world. Wouldn't you?
Please let me know what you think about the art!






6 comments:

Anonymous said...

The tour of the Bahia Hotel is the most amazing tour I can imagine. I wish I was right in the middle. It must be hard to break away. If this is an example of spray graffiti it should spread any where taggers are. What talent in Pichilemu. Thanks, Joanne

Geree said...

HI Mom!
Being at the Hotel Bahia is like being able to breathe underwater. It is really an unique experience.
Glad you like the pix.
Geree

Anonymous said...

Geree-
This hotel is truley a wonder! You're right, its amazing the artist used spray paint to create the illusion of being underwater.
Barbara
PS I get what you were saying in the last blog. Too bad others didn't.

Geree said...

Barbara-
The hotel really is an inspirational place, isn't it? I feel so serene yet excited everytime I go there. It is such a srange reaction I haven't felt anywhere else.
Maurice is full of new ideas and is artistic himself. It shows, doesn'it?
Geree

Anonymous said...

Great pictures of the amazing murals at the Bahia Hotel. Spray paint art is big here and in New Orleans at the open air street art shows. Watching the artist doing it is a wonder. Such control with a spray can. Sometimes they use it upsidedown and also they use crunched up newspaper for effects. We have a space scene. Love to see it on a BIG scale. Connie

Geree said...

HI Connie-
Sounds like a good subject for one of your blogs the next time you visit NO. I'd love to see it!
And, how about some of your art on your blog too? I'd love to see more!