How I came to know the Vessel- Hatuey Via the
Mexican Bus-" El Volado"
By David Erickson
It was a short time after the love of my life,
Maryam Samii of Tehran was deported back to Iran, and the first
gulf war in Iraq began.
I had been wallowing in grief, despair, depression and suicidal thoughts.
Probably sometime in mid 1991.
It was also during this time of depression,
that I created the most passionate and articulate art of my life, thanks to
the advice of an old friend from Rome,
Giorgio Farina, who recommended art for healing, especially mandalas.
My phone rang. My oldest friend in San Francisco,
Allesandro Palladini, originally from Milan, an incredible percussionist,
world traveled and with the eye of an artist said that he wanted me to meet
two friends of his, Toni Hafter and Lalo Obregon regarding painting of a bus,
which had received grant money for Festival 2000.
I contacted Toni and Lalo the very next day, and they explained that they
had procured grant money and they would like me to paint the Mexican
Bus. We met that afternoon on 16th street, north side, now site of the
new Mission Bay UCSF.
Toni and Lalo explained that their intention was to replicate a Mexico City
style bus, like a jitney bus found in so many cultures that would have lots
and lots of colors, and lights, and posters, and would be informally referred
to as "Chilango Landia" which if you do not know, the word, "Chilango"
is a term that the beach and resort towns residents use to describe the tourists
that come from the big cities...roughly translated, this means "stinky
fish."
I left our meeting on the street with a feeling of warmth flowing through
my spirit, body and creative being.
That was it! I was determined to paint the Mexican Bus! Colors, lights, art,
and stinky fish...my mind was made up that afternoon, thanks to Allesandro,
Toni and Lalo.
Next weekend, Toni and Lalo had not only procured donated paint from
City Paints here in SF, but had assembled large crew of volunteers from
Bartlett street and friends and a lot of very pretty girls. (which absolutely
did not affect or prejudice me) who had arrived on my doorstep at my old shop
on Gordon Alley, next
door to Club Nine, where I had been working as an art director/installer/fix
it guy.
The Mexican Bus, El Volado, el chilango
was parked just outside!
Wow! I ran into the shop, pulled out my masking equipment, ladders, masks,
and...my airless sprayer. Incredible, I had an entire passionate volunteer
crew to direct for the next 2 days.
During the next 2 days, we sanded, cleaned, primed and applied at least 5
or 6 colors ( acrylic enamel) both to inside and out of the Bus. (
thanks to City Paints in San Francisco)
Nobody paints cars, let alone buses with an airless, but I did it... and it
looked just fine, aside from a few bugs and dust.
I was elated and completely full filled with this experience as I stood at
my door front and looked at the miracle paint project that took only 2 days
to complete. Plus, I had met a lot of wonderful, warm and international people...Now
I felt that my life was connected with the rest of the world, and soon my
depression about Maryam Samii began to ebb.
Next I met the whole Bartlett street crowd, including the above mentioned
and a lot of other very cool people who worshipped the sun, and dance and
latin music and art and...you know, GOOD stuff!
From there on, I attended many wonderful full moon parties with live drums,
dancing, and tropical passion...
...the next story is about how all 300 lights came to the Bus, and how this
took me to Nicaragua.
But...there are other stories before Nicaragua and my travels on the vessel
"Hatuey" so stay tuned for the "other"
I will do my best to create photo links in the future, but for now, text is
all that i can generate
to be continued...
