Chugging across America in our car-partment, my wife and I had the opportunity to visit the bucolic art nexus that is Marfa, Texas.
Location highlight!Towards the west-most part of US-90, you’ll find this unusual community. There are numerous galleries in and around Marfa, both indoor and outdoor, which have accumulated over the last 50 years or so. These include such highlights the 15 untitled works in concrete, shown here, and the Prada Marfa (a sealed Prada “store,” lit up day & night in a desolate field).
The town also has a viewing area for mysterious, moving lights which have danced along the horizon since at least the 1800s. Unfortunately, I couldn’t photograph these successfully—they just look like stars in a photo!—but I did, indeed, see mysterious lights, and either way, the stars are incomparable: an astrophotographer’s paradise, with a little bit of mystery for flavor.
If you’re ever in far-west Texas, make time to check it out.
High on the list of reasons we stopped were the unusual sculptures of Donald Judd, housed at the Chinati Foundation. (Be aware, if you visit, that the museum is only open certain times from Wednesday through Sunday.) Struck by the unique appeal of concrete slabs in a field, I thought the basic form–blocks–would make an excellent challenge for you, dear readers. Look for Bauhaus architecture, life-size Lego blocks, and more; try to desaturate the content of the world around you and look for pure form! Check out my examples below to get the wheels turning. Note that blocky shapes can lend themselves well to super-cool square photos; perfect for Instagram!
Speaking of Instagram, please share your results—either on Instagram, tagged with #mymikescamera #halfweekhomework, or to our Facebook page. I look forward to it!
