No Country For Spandex
Our own Sandy Carson is just back from a trip out to far West Texas. He wrote up a little journal post…
This road is featured in the movie 'No country For Old Men', but where does it end?
Just been out to the West Texas desert last week, for a couple of photo assignments in Marfa and Marathon. Of course, having time to kill, I had to take the road bike and take advantage of the epic rides and cinematic scenery there. Nothing like being eaten up by an endless expanse of Chihuahuan Desert to clear the head.
No country for spandex?
No clouds for old white men? This is the route of the Marfa 100k annual road race. Its a sweet route. 35 miles each way. Remember factor 50 sunscreen!
Horses on the desert courses.
This is downtown Marfa. What's Marfa? It's basically a little art town between the Davis mountains and Big Bend. Population 2000. Many movies have been made here and it's about as minimal as it gets.
Food trailers are all the rage these days and Food Shark kills it here. My fave is the 'Marfalafel'.
Grill Cheese served on a pitch of grass.
Grill cheese parlor pac man radios.
Ok, no trip is complete without Americanos. Duh.
One of my assignments was to shoot At The Drive-In's reunion tour show in Marfa. It was pretty incredible. Better than Austin's show I reckon. The Mexican jumping beans sure put on a good show. It was super packed and kids came from all over Texas, even following the whole tour!
Right after ATDI a local Metal band LBS (Pounds) slayed a local cowboy bar. It was a bizarre melting pot of punks, metalheads, art weirdos and local grandmas all moshing it up.
Time out for Jack.
This is part of the McDonald's Observatory route. I started at the State Park. It a pretty grueling ascent but worth it on the top.
I hear they have big telescopes here. It was closed for lunch. Just my luck. Ok, time for another banana.
Sunsets and tall boys at my local store in Marfa.
Photo: Amber Hockeborne
I recommend you take the Chinati Foundation tour. http://www.chinati.org/visit/visiting.php While in Marfa. It's a good way to stay out the sun! This is Donald Judd’s 100 untitled works in mill aluminum (1982-1986).
Smashed car installations by John Chamberlain.
This is one of my favorite permanent installations at Chinati, by light artist Dan Flavin.
John Wesley paintings at Chinati.
Wild Pronghorn that run free all over the desert.
Eyesore or genius? Prada store art installation in Valentine, TX by Elmgreen and Dragset, . About 40 miles west of Marfa. Last time I went here, some cowboys had shot the windows out!
Here we are in Marathon, TX on my next assignment with Zachary Zniewski. Zach is an amazing dude who has 5 curious donkeys. The one on the right was born in 1957!. Full story in the next Texas Observer.
As you can see, these dudes were all up on my shit and making an ass of my photos! (ass photos by Brooke Carter)
'till next adventure, Y'hear?
