Much more to Marfa than the lights, or the art
A faithful reader just sent me this article that was posted in the Austin-Amercian Stateman. (thanks DD). One of the first articles that gives a little to credit to those who helped the town grow.
Much more to Marfa than the lights, or the art
A Mecca in the West Texas desert?
by Michael Barnes
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
"Marfa, visited just before the South by Southwest madness, is to Austin what Austin is to Texas.
The beauty, pleasure and companionship of the larger city is refined and concentrated in this arid Davis Mountains town, compounding Central Texas informality with West Texas "live and let live" philosophy.
Still a ranching center, Marfa's two biggest claims to fame, after the mystery lights, are the arts (Chinati, Judd, galleries, etc.) and movies ("Giant," "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood").
Beyond that, its finest restaurants, theaters, book stores, shops and hotels rival the best in Austin, enjoyed by an isolated population of just more than 2,000.
The genius of the Marfa renaissance, partly engineered by Houston lawyer Tim Crowley — by coincidence a high school friend of mine — is the careful preservation of the past while insisting on the highest standards for the future. As opposed to the kitsch art and faux historical atmosphere of Santa Fe, Marfa's appeal comes from the big sky, resplendent light, muted colors, open spaces and some of the most sensitive renovation projects anywhere on the globe.
According to locals, a good third of Marfa's migratory flocks make the six-hour drive from Austin. Our gang of five stayed at the Paisano Hotel, and our room opened onto a sun-blanched terrace over the courtyard's traditional fountain, perfect for long reads. Steven Tomlinson and Eugene Sepulveda occupied the hotel's Rock Hudson suite — a nod to "Giant" — which expands to the size of my Austin house with an attached terrace big enough for a wedding reception, or a New Year's Eve party, which the Austin pair threw here three months ago.
Walking the wide Western streets of Marfa or dining..."
read full article
Much more to Marfa than the lights, or the art
A Mecca in the West Texas desert?
by Michael Barnes
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
"Marfa, visited just before the South by Southwest madness, is to Austin what Austin is to Texas.
The beauty, pleasure and companionship of the larger city is refined and concentrated in this arid Davis Mountains town, compounding Central Texas informality with West Texas "live and let live" philosophy.
Still a ranching center, Marfa's two biggest claims to fame, after the mystery lights, are the arts (Chinati, Judd, galleries, etc.) and movies ("Giant," "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood").
Beyond that, its finest restaurants, theaters, book stores, shops and hotels rival the best in Austin, enjoyed by an isolated population of just more than 2,000.
The genius of the Marfa renaissance, partly engineered by Houston lawyer Tim Crowley — by coincidence a high school friend of mine — is the careful preservation of the past while insisting on the highest standards for the future. As opposed to the kitsch art and faux historical atmosphere of Santa Fe, Marfa's appeal comes from the big sky, resplendent light, muted colors, open spaces and some of the most sensitive renovation projects anywhere on the globe.
According to locals, a good third of Marfa's migratory flocks make the six-hour drive from Austin. Our gang of five stayed at the Paisano Hotel, and our room opened onto a sun-blanched terrace over the courtyard's traditional fountain, perfect for long reads. Steven Tomlinson and Eugene Sepulveda occupied the hotel's Rock Hudson suite — a nod to "Giant" — which expands to the size of my Austin house with an attached terrace big enough for a wedding reception, or a New Year's Eve party, which the Austin pair threw here three months ago.
Walking the wide Western streets of Marfa or dining..."
read full article
posted by Mark permanent link
4 Comments:
Did the town grow?..or just change. This is just another name-dropping fluff piece that tries to promote Marfa's hype.
Well, you are right about the name-dropping for sure. And to answer your question, the town has grown. Of course it has changed too, in the 80's all the storefronts and streets were empty. You can research that if you are interested in research and facts and things like that. :-)
M
When you mentioned "grow" as a preface to the original piece I thought you meant by population.....I don't think it has grown in that regard.
The storefronts were not all empty on Highland Ave. and there are still are a few closed. There are the Judd buildings which are open only to a select few. The Paisano Hotel is perhaps the biggest renaissance downtown.
The change I meant however, is not about storefronts or population, it is about attitude. It used to be only until a few years ago that the townspeople waved at each other while driving, it used to be that folk from all over town came to the art shows and it was quite a mix of locals and newcomers, it used to be that the ranchers and locals were treated with some respect as they were the ones who kept the town alive before the art scene moved here. Newcomers that were down-to-earth were embraced by the locals. Yes, I am generalizing to an extent, but I have seen too many social ladder climbers, too many scammers, too many holier-than-thous come to Marfa.(luckily many are visitors and leave) They feel they have a sense of entitlement because they know or worked with so-and-so or live in an upscale section of such-and-such city. Does it really matter? Do we really care? That attitude has done much to segregate people even more in Marfa.
New people for the most part don't care about anyone else but those of similar ilk, someone who can get them somewhere...like networking in the city that I thought they were trying to leave. New people now seem to have some agenda....how they can best use the name, Marfa, for their own purpose, get some notoriety through their art, design,...drop the name 'Marfa' at a cocktail party. What's funny is that if the Crowley's hadn't put Marfa in the press and Marfa looked as it did in the mid-nineties most of these people would not have been caught dead here.
Wave at most newcomers and they look at you like you are from Mars....or totally ignore you....what happened to Marfa's friendliness? I know of a certain newcomer who always seems like he has a permanent gas problem due to his facial expression when he talks to a local, but when he sees a hipster his mood perks up. Some seem to come here just to freak out the townspeople with their outfits, art, architecture and antics including some of the plays......it seems they just want to see how far they can push the locals and at the same time gain some press....I am not prudish, but I know of people who admitted to me just that intention. It is really sickening that these types of people are exalted in the press while real people have to suffer their egos.
Why is it we can have Andy Warhol in the town, but the library struggles to expand or the community health clinic struggles to stay open? Why? Because it's not as fashionable or hip, that's why....you won't get press by doing a good deed in Marfa... well, unless it involves an avant-garde design or an art installation in order to open something the locals can actually use.
It would be interesting in your blog if you did an anonymous questionaire as to why so many have their homes up for sale. Sure, some may be selling out for money, but I know too many that have moved because the town has "changed".....people who were born here don't even feel like they belong anymore....dare someone to write an article on that story, much less get it in the press. Unfortunately, many of these people who do stories on Marfa are wined and dined at all the "best places" in town and leave within a few days, they don't live here or stick around long enough to really know the town.
This type of article is exactly the type of article that continues to promote Marfa in its worst light. Some of these people seem to pick their nose and mention Marfa and they're all written up in some rag.
For those who say "embrace change" I say some changes are better than others and these kind of articles that help promote these kind of attitudes in Marfa are not good change.
You are both right…and wrong. Marfa was a town on the verge of decay in the early 90’s. As a resident of Alpine, the only reason I took someone over to Marfa was for the lights. It was a good thing that the influx of moneyed people brought about an injection of culture, good and bad.
Here is the reality:
New people to West Texas need to learn that there is such a thing as common courtesy. When someone waves at you, wave back. When someone thanks you, say your welcome. When someone smiles, the appropriate response is a smile not a sneer.
West Texas regulars need to learn that just because it’s not in your tastes, doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. Art you don’t like, don’t go out of you way to bash it. Fashion that you think is weird; think how you would look in Manhattan. Rude behavior towards you, take into account that they don’t know better.
Both sides need to learn how to live together in Marfa to make it the unique place that it is becoming.
But as far as it “growing,” I don’t think so. I go with changing.
Post a Comment
<< Home