I adore Mexican folk art and kitsch, so you can imagine my unadulterated sheer joy and delight when I stumbled, purely by chance, across this humble watering hole last weekend in the heart of the Centro Historico. Can you spot the barman amongst all these objets d'art adorning every surface of bar, walls, and ceiling??
After the initial sense of being overwhelmed, you manage to get your eye in, and then you can spot all kinds of antique treasures from bicycles, chairs and gas rings, to bulls' heads, lucha libre masks and skulls. Next you zoom in on the boxing gloves, frying pans, pinatas, masks, tin trays, bottles, and an entire array of Joseph Cornell - style boxes...
I stopped by for a glass of wine whilst I was wandering about by myself, and the atmosphere was perfectly friendly, chilled and laid back ...
You can see why I felt so at home when I show you a couple of corners of my own apartment here in Mexico City, dubbed"The Red Palace", which are very quickly developing into Mexican kitsch corners...
Here are my latest acquisitions - a pair of demented and deranged papier mache Lucha Libre wrestlers. One has his pants on fire, and the other has a skull emblazoned on his lunch box - Don't you just love them??
Hosteria La Bota is located on Calle Regina between Bolivar and 5 de Febrero amidst a number of other funky, quirky bars and cafes. Watch out for further postings on this very interesting street....
8 comments:
OOOH, I love Mexican folk art and kitsch as well. That place sounds like the kind of spot filled with personality, that I love. Your wrestlers are adorable. It looks like we're on the same page about posting our treasures. I posted those Bahian paintings just for you.
It is overwhelming and no, I didn't spot the barman. In fact, can you tell me where he is? I checked the whole picture but can't spot him.
You're right, though. Once you separate the wheat from the chaff, you find some truly beautiful gems in there.
Great post and marvellous photos!
Greetings from London.
Hey Fly Girl - thanks so much am going to check out your painitings today when I get home from work...
Hey Cuban - sorry to frustrate you hahaha - look at the second photo down which is a collage of 3 pix - barman is in the top one - you can see only his read somewhat to the right of the shot...
hey Cuban - sorry for the typo - should have read "you can see only his Head"
Love your pictures and this post. Kitsch is something I enjoy, if a culture embraces kitsch, I embrace that culture.
Keep writing these neat insights-- please -- it makes Mexico more enchanting than what the media writes about.
Nice pair of men you brought home from the bar. They look like keepers :^)
hey wendy - glad to hear that the Time Out shoot is finally on....good luck with it all...
Well, I think you really don't capture the essence of the place, I've been there, and let me tell you it's really quite an experience, I love this site!! Moreover, I promise to return on another occasion with photographs that give you an idea about it n_n
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