In a secluded town like Marfa, Texas, there’s enough physical space to take risks. A touch of isolationism coupled with Marfa’s otherworldly beauty have long drawn artists like Donald Judd, yearning to break out of the often claustrophobic art world of oversaturated urban centers. Before it became the stomping grounds of choice as it is now for pop culture royalty like Beyoncé, however, Marfa served as a wholesome family vacation spot for Dallas-raised photographer Gray Malin, long inspired by the scenery of ruggedly beautiful West Texas. Now—years after having first gone viral with his iconic shots of a banana peel on the highway in front of the “Prada Marfa” installation—Malin reflects on how, for him, Marfa has always served as the perfect place to get away.
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