As far as the art world is concerned, it’s difficult if not downright impossible to mention the town of Marfa without mentioning Donald Judd. Whether you love him, hate him or fall somewhere in between; you do have to admit that Judd played a large role in making this town into the art capital of West Texas. Today Marfa is the home to many galleries, museums, art foundations and a number of artists. Having broken free from the restraints of Minimalism, the Marfa art scene today is a lively mix between established, emerging, and local artists making works ranging from painting and sculpture to video and functional objects.
Donald Judd, 15 untitled works in concrete, 1980-1984, detail. Permanent collection, the Chinati Foundation, Marfa, Texas, photograph by Douglas Tuck, 2009.
I’ll take a hint here from a former Marfa blogger, Theresa Bembnister (No Country For Old Interns) to go ahead and introduce myself and what this blog is all about. Via Q&A of course:
Q: You’re writing about Marfa, are you from there?
A: Right now, yes. I’m currently an intern at The Chinati Foundation , and I’ve been in Marfa for seven weeks. Originally, I grew up near Chicago, but I came to Texas from Kansas City where I went to school. It’s confusing, I know, I get lost myself sometimes.
Q: Kansas City, huh? What made you come out to Marfa?
A: Why Marfa itself, of course. I studied art history and sculpture in school and somewhere along the way heard about The Chinati Foundation and what Donald Judd did out here. When I learned that they had an internship program I applied as a way to get some museum experience and also just as a change of scenery. So far, so good, but this is definitely not Kansas anymore.
Vast expanse of nothingness. Image by Matt Jacobs
Q: Ok I’ve heard of Donald Judd and Chinati, but don’t you get bored out there in the middle of nowhere?
A: I have yet to be bored in Marfa. Between the boatloads of art, the constant stream of live music and the slew of odd but delicious places to eat, Marfa has proven to be an infinite source of surprises. Actually, that’s what this blog will focus on: the active and diverse visual art scene here in Marfa. I’ll do my best to showcase what I find to be the most interesting visual art happenings in town.
Q: What about you, are you an artist too?
A: Yes I am, but this blog isn’t really about my work. If you’d like to see some of it, please visit my website (here) but don’t expect to see much of it here on The Marfan.
Ballroom Marfa, converted-ballroom-made-art-gallery. Image: http://ballroommarfa.org/about/tours/
Q: Have you seen the Marfa Lights?
A: Let’s not talk about the Marfa Lights.
