Thorns in My Butt and Cement Blocks in the Weeds: Chinati, The Mecca of the Minimalist World
March 24, 2015
Mention Marfa to anyone, and if they've ever heard of it, they will be sure to ask, "Did you see the Lights?" Well, we did spend the night beside the highway watching a huge expanse of desert where they are supposed to mysteriously appear. And this is what we saw:
We remained hopeful for hours, but finally we got really bored… and so here is our fabulous shot of Lights near Marfa… Can you tell it's Peg stumbling in the dark amongst the cholla and prickly pear cactus swinging a flashlight while Bernie, cracking the director's whip, orders her around? Only a few thorns made it through into my socks, and really, only one in my butt.
The lights, however, were not the reason we had come to Marfa. Before our all night vigil in the desert, we spent the day at the Chinati Foundation. Chinati, one of the largest installations of contemporary art in the world, was once an old army fort1 and a WW2 prisoner of war camp. The minimalist artist,2 Donald Judd, bought the property in the seventies and converted the 340 acre site (with the help of DIA) into a permanent art installation.
Donald Judd's works are permanently installed on the base in two old artillery sheds and a large field.
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Twenty-two works by John Chamberlain are installed in the town at the old Marfa Wool and Mohair Building.
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Dan Flavin's neon tubes and the colored spaces around them are spread out over 6 old barracks buildings.
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So about minimalism… As some of you know all too well, I am a girl who never met a shiny metallic bag covered in rhinestones nor a pair of 4 inch satin, spiked heels with a Phoenix rising in flames painted on them that I didn't covet. Bring on the color and the excess, that's what I want to see. In the 60s, my jeans always had the more embroidery than anyone's. The first time we visited, the crow in me could barely imagine enjoying Chinati and it's several miles of minimalist works of art. Yet something happened in the first artillery shed. Looking at the 100 works in Milled Aluminum, seeing the desert and blue sky outside the huge windows, the soft distorted reflections and color on the individual pieces was as close to a spiritual experience as I will probably ever get. Even now, looking at photographs, I can feel the cool temperature of the space, see the bright light and gentle shadows…
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Of course sometimes less is just not enough. This is Things That Happen Again: For a Here and a There, a copper sculpture by Ronnie Horn. |
The two mile, 6 hour tour to view the minimalist art is a maximalist experience that we do again and again. If the thought of art even whispers to you, listen to the scream from Marfa and go. You probably will never be be in El Paso (only 200 miles away), but if you are in San Antonio, do make the "short" side journey…800 miles round trip. Take the time, do it.
2 We were told that the foundation prefers not to use the term "minimalist."
I too enjoyed the tour. Thank you both.
Donna K
Judd and Chamberlain are vaguely familiar to me, but Flavin I know. He had an exhibition here many years ago, I think at the Hirshhorn. I actually went twice because the neon lights excited me! I have more and more senior moments. I guess I can just say that I saw the ABT two nights ago dancing Agnes De Mille's Rodeo, and today I had lunch with two former colleagues whom anyone would have been proud to work wixth, Lily and Sylvia. If you read between the lines, you can tell that I really envy your lifestyle, but at the same time, my life is not really totally boring.
Ilo-Mai
All of this is news to me - hummmmmm. Thank you for the pics and the enthusiasm too. Hugs to you and Bernie.
Cindy S
