Hughes Exhibit Focuses on Marfa Scenes

Colorful, vibrant photographs of Marfa by artist Martha Hughes are currently on display at Highland Gallery in Marfa. Hughes is an established artist in the fields of painting, drawing and other media, however this is the first exhibit of her photographs.

The exhibit is titled Everyday Marfa and includes one hundred photographs of archetypal Marfa sights such as the courthouse, as well as out-of-the-way places and ordinary household scenes. One room of the gallery is devoted to snapshots of some of the photographer’s Marfan friends. "For the last thirteen years I’ve taken at least one point-and-shoot snapshot every day. The photographs in this show are from that series, taken in Marfa since I moved here from Austin in 2004,” said Hughes. In these photographs as well as her other artwork, Hughes looks at ordinary life from a fresh angle.

In addition to the ongoing daily snapshot project, Hughes displays a different photograph every day on her website. “Sometimes the picture is a snapshot of my artwork in progress, but more often it’s an image I snap from daily life around the studio or out and about in Marfa.”

The exhibit continues through June 26. Highland Gallery is open every Thursday through Monday, from 10am to 5pm and by appointment.

The Marfa.Org ®@ŋd¤m‡zЄ®

Marfa’s Own Reluctant Performer, Adam Bork
Set of There Will Be Blood, photo by Alberto Tomas Halpern
Children's Activity Table Inspired by Judd
Old Toltec Motel Postcard (auction)
Marfa 608, Guest House
Firefighters Contain Most of Fire in Marfa Area

Artist Sues Maverick L.A. Dealer Over Sales
"In the 1980s, Chrismas was accused of stealing the work of several major artists. He plead no contest to a criminal charge that he stole seven works by Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Frank Stella and Donald Judd. He has also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at least six times since 1982. Despite such legal troubles, however, he has continued to be a force in the art world. Chrismas' Los Angeles gallery now features works from such artists as actor Dennis Hopper and sculptor Jeppe Hein, whose work has also appeared in the Venice Biennale and the Museum of Modern Art in New York..."

Real Estate: The Going Gets Tougher (nationally)
Those still interested in investing are looking in more out-of-the-way markets. San Francisco interior decorator Marjory Graue has bought or sold six properties in the past six years...
Graue recently paid well under six figures for a three-bedroom, two-bath house in Marfa, Tex., an artists' community near the Mexican border. Graue figures she'll spend another $30,000 remodeling the place and then either rent it out or flip it. Her purchase price was so low, she doesn't have a mortgage. "My Dad said Rockefeller bought at 10 cents on the dollars and sold at 70 cents," she says. "I see these people keeping loans on top of loans. I'd rather buy really cheap and sell it to somebody else who'll make some money, too."

Adam Bork, Live at Ray's

Friday, May 26, 8pm - An exclusive performance by the highly regarded Marfa guitarist, singer- songwriter Adam Bork. This concert is part of Ballroom Marfa's ongoing "Live at Ray's" music series. $5 cover at the door.

The Marfa.Org ®@ŋd¤m‡zЄ®

Marfa Moment 2006: Call for Art Entries
Devine, Salgado, Williams: New Council Members
Recent Additions to the Marfa.Org Gallery
Chinati Hosts Community Day for Local Residents, May 21
Letter Explaining Recent Property Tax Hikes
Discussion about Recent Property Tax Hikes
I Heart Marfa

Ballroom Creates Drive-In Theater Outside Marfa

The first-ever American drive-in theater produced by a non-profit cultural arts space will make its debut the evening of September 28, 2006. The Ballroom Drive-In is a unique collaboration between guest curators affiliated with the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), NY, an international architect and Ballroom Marfa. The premiere weekend will feature four to six full-feature film screenings preceded by live action and animated short films, newsreels, and trailers.

Set amidst sweeping plains, distant mountain ranges, and dark night skies, drive-in movie theaters helped define West Texas for much of the 20th century. In reconstructing the drive-in experience, the Ballroom Drive-In examines the relationships between filmmaker and viewer, film genre and setting, all the while cognizant of the emotional impact unique to the medium itself.

The Ballroom Drive-In is hardly steeped in nostalgia though, showcasing an innovative architectural design by an internationally renowned architect. The architect, chosen from a field of distinguished young practitioners by the Ballroom and Tina di Carlo, a curator of architecture and design at MoMA, will be announced within the coming months.

Josh Siegel, a film and media curator at MoMA, has designed the initial film series for the Ballroom Drive-In. Mr. Siegel has organized more than 80 exhibitions, including: The Lodz Film School of Poland: 50 Years; the annual MoMA International Festival of Film Preservation; and retrospectives devoted to Jeanne Moreau, Nicholas Ray, Christopher Guest, Ken Jacobs, John Frankenheimer, Ross McElwee, Henry James, and Errol Morris.

Films will be screened at the Ballroom Drive-In in 35-mm and, in a special arrangement with MoMA, many will be restored prints drawn from its internationally renowned collection. In the spirit of vintage drive-ins but with a decidedly Texas twist, the Ballroom Drive-In will boast a concession stand serving barbeque and empanadas.

The Ballroom Drive-In sits on five acres of ranchland one mile west of Marfa, directly adjacent to the town's original drive-in theater. Screenings are open to the public free of charge and the gates open one hour before sundown each evening Thursday, September 28 through Sunday, October 1.

For more on the history of the drive-in theater typology, go here.

Christie's Aftermath: More eBay Judds

Seems as though the Christie's auction for the Judd Foundation has stirred interest for sellers of smaller Judd works. At the time of writing, the online auction giant eBay has six original Donald Judd works up on the block. From the untitled aquatint etchings (you know, the vertically striped parallelagrams shown here (1,2) to line drawing lithographs (3,4) to enameled aluminum stools (5,6). It has been common for there to be one or two original Judds up on eBay at any given time, but 6 is new territory. It looks like the Christie's auction has had a positive effect on the values of the lots as well. Just a year or two ago, the aquatints were selling for $700 and now the starting price is up to $1500.

The Marfa.Org ®@ŋd¤m‡zЄ®

Warhol and Judd Soar in $143 Million Art Sale
[New York Times] From a Campbell's Soup can to a dissected lamb split and submerged in formaldehyde, postwar and contemporary images straight out of the art history books rose to ever-higher price levels in more than two and a half hours of tireless bidding at Christie's last night. But the most memorable part of the evening came when Minimalism went mainstream....
Among the Judd works, the biggest draw was "Untitled, 1993 (93-1 Ballantine)," a monumental wall piece made of plywood and plexiglass, which was expected to fetch $2 million to $3 million and sold to a telephone bidder for $2.7 million. Four bidders wanted "Untitled 1970 (DSS No. 230) (70-13 Bernstein)," a horizontal aluminum sculpture that had been on extended loan to Dia:Beacon in upstate New York. It sold for $2 million after a high estimate of $1.2 million...

Donald Judd Sculptures Fetch $24.5M at Christie's
[Bloomberg] Sculptures by the U.S. minimalist artist Donald Judd fetched $24.5 million in upbeat bidding that opened last evening's New York sale of postwar and contemporary art at Christie's International. After 26 lots were offered and 25 sold, and with 10 lower- priced pieces remaining for today's auction, the tally already topped the presale high estimate of $21.7 million, Christie's said. Proceeds from the sale will be used to create an endowment for the Judd Foundation. The artist died of cancer in 1994. ``It went very well,'' said Barbara Hunt McLanahan, the foundation's executive director. ``The work is strong. So far, so good.''
A handful of bidders competed for the sculptures in a room packed to capacity with dealers and collectors. Most works went to telephone bidders, and no single lot topped the largest presale high estimate of $3 million. Three tied for the highest sale price, each fetching $2.7 million. Most lots sold for more than their presale high estimates or fell within their estimated range. All prices include Christie's commission. The results dampen concerns that putting so many Judd works on the block would diminish their market value. The tally also vindicates Christie's unusual support of the artist. The auction house, owned by French billionaire Francois Pinault, mounted a separate, monthlong exhibition of Judd's work. It also guaranteed the foundation an undisclosed amount from the sale of $21 million to $25 million...

U.S. Tipping Mexico to Minuteman Patrols
Texas' Next Big Boom (Marfa Basin Oil)

The Collectors: Dallas' Stoffels
[WFAA] I'd love to say my parents took me to museums, but they didn't," says Gayle Stoffel, a Dallas collector keen on contemporary art. Her husband, Paul, is even more direct. "My parents collect? Are you kidding? They had no money and no interest," says the Dallas businessman who owns Triple S. Capital investments. Now listed among the Top 200 Collectors in the World by ARTnews magazine, the Stoffels have done it in 15 years. They're an inspiration to anyone who wants to learn about contemporary art. "We just kept going to shows at different museums and galleries and talking to people," says Ms. Stoffel, admitting that it took a...

Giant, Backstage Driving Ambitions

Freelance writer Nick Zegarac presents a history of the filming of Giant on his weblog, The Hollywood Art. Story includes interesting anecdotal tid-bits that are fun to know, as well as biographical information on Edna Ferber.

GIANT - backstage driving ambitions
Daily, cast and crew were besought by two to three hundred spectators on the set, providing an interesting blend of Hollywood dazzle and Texan hospitality. In the evenings, costar Jane Withers offered her own diversions after long intensive days of shooting. Throwing nightly parties that included playing cards and monopoly marathons, these quaint ritual meetings inside the tiny home that George Stevens had rented for the actress provided lighthearted diversionary entertainment that perfectly captured the homespun camaraderie shared by almost all on the set. Withers’ rental also became the location of a surprise visit. One evening, after everyone else had gone home, Withers was startled to find James Dean reclining on the open sill of her bedroom window. When asked to explain himself, Dean modestly replied that he merely wanted the actress’s attention all for himself. “You come by the front door from now on or you don’t come at all” the actress reportedly told Dean, nailing the window shut to prove her point.... full article