You know you're in for a good time in the remote, west Texas town of Marfa when, out of nowhere, you come upon Prada Marfa. This unlikely sculpture (pictured above) on US 90, about 20 miles or so west of the tiny town, adds a considerable bit of whimsy to the otherwise vast (and gorgeous) high-desert landscape; it's a memorable WTF moment. If noting else, this roadside decoration, the handiwork of artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, gets your mind humming along in anticipation of all the artsy treasures that await.
Back in the 1970s, Donald Judd, the famed minimalist artist, went on an impressive real estate buying spree of sorts. He snapped up many of Marfa's buildings, much of its land and, with the help of the Dia Foundation, a defunct military base. Today, the town is home to a mind-boggling amount of world-class art exhibits—many of them, in keeping with Judd's vision, are permanent installations. Refurbished hangars, barracks, warehouses and other buildings are home to large-scale works by Judd and other artists he knew including Dan Flavin, John Chamberlain, John Wesley, Carl Andre, Roni Horn, Ilya Kabakov, and Richard Long.
After the jump, more on Marfa and many more pictures of the town (and its glorious light—we're talking the ambient kind not the supernatural kind).
The Chinati Foundation oversees the old military base. A two-part guided tour (with an ample break for lunch in between) is brilliant and, really, an absolute must if you visit Marfa. The hundred large aluminum box works by Judd housed in two converted artillery sheds are fantastic. On my visit there a few months ago we were so taken with the place and the immense grounds that we opted to go back a second day to slowly stroll among the stunning array of concrete box sculptures that fill an enormous field.
If you want to get a glimpse into Judd's personal space, you're in luck: The Judd Foundation hosts an intimate tour of his stunning home and studio (again, a must, especially if you've bothered to come this far).
When your brain gets overloaded with minimalist-art (and it will), you'll be glad to know that Marfa offers plenty of distractions. Stroll around the town and visit fun shops like JM Dry Goods, Fancy Pony Land or the Marfa Book Company.
Happily there are a surprising number of great places to eat. My favorite: the Food Shark (pictured below), a refurbished old truck that parks under a pavilion right in town serves up a changing menu of fresh soups, salads, sandwiches and falafel. Sit outside at the Judd-inspired tables or in the old school bus pimped-out with diner booths. Also good eating: Pizza Foundation, Frama Coffee (120 N Austin S), Blue Javalina, and FYI, the cheap Mexican breakfast at Alice's Café (906 W San Antonio) is super yummy.
Padres is a great bar, and it's where we saw a lot of the (cute) art foundation interns hanging out at night. It also boasts a relaxing patio, pool tables and vintage pinball machines.
Scroll down for more photos!
Stuff you should know:
The closest airports: El Paso or the Midland/Odessa airport. It's about a 3-hour drive from either one.
Important warning: Most everything in Marfa that you want to see and do is CLOSED on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Tours: Held Wednesday through Sunday ($10-$30). Advance reservations are strongly recommended.
Reading Material: If you can get your hands on it, The Republic of Marfa, by Sean Wilsey, is still a great essay; it appeared in McSweeney's second issue, Timothy McSweeney's Blues-Jazz Odyssey (Late Winter/Early Spring 1999)
Places to sleep: At El Cosmico (featured in the February/March issue of ReadyMade!) you can tent camp or stay in a teepee, yurt or refurbished vintage camper. Rates: $20 a night and up.
The Thunderbird Motel is a super-hip, refurbished 1950s motel. Rooms start at $130 a night.
[Photographs: Top, Prada Marfa Eric Hanson; all others by Keith Mulvihill and Brian Fiske]
Sent from James' iPhone
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