BajaNomad

Rock slide mountain art south of Coyote Bay

Marla Daily - 5-11-2015 at 03:00 PM

Does anyone know the history of the white-painted outlined landslide rocks on the large hillside south of Coyote Bay? I noticed on this trip south that the paint is almost entirely gone now. I've enjoyed the
fruits of some unknown artist's labor these past two decades. I always thought of the anonymous person as Baja California Sur's own Christo. The multi-fingered and outlined rock slide was visually impressive and took hundreds of gallons of paint to create.

Maron - 5-11-2015 at 03:04 PM

Any pictures?

thks

gallesram - 5-11-2015 at 03:22 PM

I think it's this place; we have seen it many times too. This shot was taken in 2011 before the white rocks were there:

Pompano - 5-11-2015 at 03:39 PM

It was back in the 90's.

Is this what you're referring to? Some fellow/s used up a few barrels of white paint on those rocks many years ago. I've got the history of it somewhere and if I can dredge it up, I'll post it here. At the time, it caused a very minor uproar. It happened rather quickly. I had left on a trip, came back and there that sucker was...boldly outlined in white. Some liked it, some thought it was graffiti. I always thought it looked like a squashed scorpion, but that's what cheap rum will do for you....





As I recall, other artists/people were covering islands with crepe paper at the same time in history. Rock frogs, etc. It was the time of BIG ART. I camo-painted a Suburban and other things.







[Edited on 5-12-2015 by Pompano]

Maron - 5-11-2015 at 04:54 PM

Thanks

David K - 5-11-2015 at 05:26 PM

As seen from El Requeson in 2007:





[Edited on 5-12-2015 by David K]

roundtuit - 5-11-2015 at 06:07 PM

I heard 9 yrs ago that some professor and his students did that pre 2004
Maybe just a rumor Ask Mark and Olivia as they live near there

Marla Daily - 5-11-2015 at 06:38 PM

Pompano and David K indeed have it right. This is the art to which I refer. It has been there for more than 20 years. There is a smaller rock slide on the left that resembles a large whale.

Note: The photo posted by Gallesram is of the rock slide area to the north of the "painted art" rock slide and it has never been outlined in white paint.

bajabuddha - 5-11-2015 at 11:34 PM

I'll give you the best history on it that I think is possible. I started camping at La Perla, directly north of it, the winter of '95-6. IT WASN'T THERE THE FIRST WINTER. When I drove in ( I do believe ) the next year, would be the early winter of '96 , or at the latest '97, The lava scree was outlined / painted. Pablo Fuerte who was El Jefe (next to Rosa, his wife) greeted me as I came back to roost. Our first conversation was about the new ''painting'' on the hillside.

Pablo explained a new-wave "Artista" had come down from either Tijuana or Ensenada (or wherever, doesn't matter) and camped the entire previous summer at La Perla with his wife and at least one child, living in one of the beach palapas. He saw "shapes" in the lava screes on the hillside, and would go up each day by foot, and paint an outline of each basalt scree on the hillside. It was his grande tribute to ART.

If you've ever been on the bay through the summer months, the heat is excruciating. To imagine not only existing for at least 3 months (according to Pablo) but climb up on black basaltic lava and paint, and paint, and paint........ the guy was absolutely NUTZO... but what true artist isn't, in their own right??? Amen to them all.... and you all who still are.

He saw shapes in the natural landscape. One is definitely a mammal/ sea creature, whale perhaps? That's the smaller to the left of the 'corral' or 'octopus' or whatever you see... the rest are up to you. I spent many years watching from the first year onward wondering if he was sipping a little Datura Tea or what. Each year the white-wash would fade; amazingly, each year colors of the painting itself would change. At first was thick and all white. The last 10 years some of the areas were different pastels. I don't know if that was planned, or perhaps chemical changes of the paint and the rock (my guess).

I do know this history to be correct. T'was my home away from home, and I truly remember the first year it was there. The funniest part is when Pablo told me the story, and I said, "Que?? Verdad??". Old Pablo smiled his HUGE Fuerte grin, and put his finger pointed towards his ear, and began to spin it in a small circle. "He was nuts", he signed in Espaņol.

bb

[Edited on 5-12-2015 by bajabuddha]

Marc - 5-12-2015 at 06:27 AM

I often wondered about who created this. A good high grade enamel would have lasted longer:lol::lol::lol:

gallesram - 5-12-2015 at 10:55 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Marla Daily  
Pompano and David K indeed have it right. This is the art to which I refer. It has been there for more than 20 years. There is a smaller rock slide on the left that resembles a large whale.

Note: The photo posted by Gallesram is of the rock slide area to the north of the "painted art" rock slide and it has never been outlined in white paint.


I stand corrected; funny how they are similarly shaped. Once I saw the other pics that were posted I figured I had it wrong.

KurtG - 5-12-2015 at 02:02 PM

Buddha's time frame is as I remember also. I thought the result of all that work was remarkable and enjoyed each time I saw it. It was very visible from the other side of the bay and from that perspective really jumped out as the sunrise hit it. The volcanic cinder rock seemed to glow red and the white outline really stood out.

At the time I was told that the artist had several helpers but I have no direct knowledge of that.

bajabuddha - 5-12-2015 at 03:14 PM

Thanks, Kurt. I lived under it for over 1,000 days. It'll turn 20 in a year or two, and I personally believe that'll be about it for the outline as we knew it. It's inexorably washing/fading away.

I had mixed feelings about it; the colors and contrast were interesting and quite striking, and the thing was visible from anywhere on the Bay when first done. But I must concur with Pablo on his audacity. Pablo never mentioned helpers, just he, his wife and kids and a palapa all summer at La Perla. Now THAT'S persistence. I also can't help but imagine the things he ran into up there on the basalt; spiders, scorpions and snakes..... 2 rattlers killed at La Perla that I know of.

elgatoloco - 5-12-2015 at 11:25 PM



The artist who did what he calls "The hand of God and a Whale" is Francisco Hernandez Zamora aka Gerardo. His specialty is arte de la tierra. He is originally from Mexico City. He also did a big whale at San Ignacio Lagoon.

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=21439#pid1935...