There’s something happening in Marfa, Texas. Filmmaker Larry Clark caught whiff of the offbeat vibes and decided to set his teen drama Marfa there in 2012.
But in recent years, the tiny town in the middle of the desert has blown up to become a fully-fledged creative mecca.
Directed by Nathan Henry of ALCHEMYcreative, Marfa: This Must Be The Place gets under the skin of this unexpected artistic renaissance.
Artists have long been inspired by Marfa, but artist Donald Judd moved to the area in the early ’70s and bought up a group of buildings including the its abandoned military base, he helped kickstart a movement that has seen the town transformed.
Today, Marfa is a place where ranch hands live alongside experimental artists and huge outdoor art installations sit next to trailer parks.
With more and more artists finding refuge in the desert town, Marfa’s mythical status as a creative hotspot looks set to grow and grow.
Find out more about Marfa: This Must Be The Place.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Latest on Huck
Nxdia: “Poems became an escape for me”
What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s Egyptian-British alt-pop shapeshifter Nxdia.
Written by: Nxdia
Kathy Shorr’s splashy portraits inside limousines
The Ride of a Lifetime — Wanting to marry a love of cars and photography, Kathy Shorr worked as a limousine driver in the ’80s to use as a studio on wheels. Her new photobook explores her archive.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Lewd tales of live sex shows in ’80s Times Square
Peep Man — Before its LED-beaming modern refresh, the Manhattan plaza was a hotbed for seedy transgression. A new memoir revisits its red light district heyday.
Written by: Miss Rosen
In a world of noise, IC3PEAK are finding radicality in the quiet
Coming Home — Having once been held up as a symbol of Russian youth activism and rebellion, the experimental duo are now living in exile. Their latest album explores their new reality.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Are we steamrolling towards the apocalypse?
One second closer to midnight — While the rolling news cycle, intensifying climate crisis and rapidly advancing technology can make it feel as if the end days are upon us, newsletter columnist Emma Garland remembers that things have always been terrible, and that is a natural part of human life.
Written by: Emma Garland
In a city of rapid gentrification, one south London estate stands firm
A Portrait of Central Hill — Social housing is under threat across the British capital. But residents of the Central Hill estate in Crystal Palace are determined to save their homes, and their community.
Written by: Alex King