Dust & Distortion: A Week in Marfa, Texas

okay, so i’m pretty sure i’m running on fumes and lukewarm coffee. marfa. seriously? i went. and it’s… a thing. 4678381 and 1840019743. don’t ask. i just… saw it. the temperature’s sitting at 21.56 feels like 22.02, temp min 21.14, temp max 22.01, pressure 1012, humidity 86, sea level 1012, grnd level 1012. it’s like stepping into a slightly warped photograph. the air itself feels thick, you know? like static. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.

i rolled in on a beat-up Ford pickup - found it on Craigslist, naturally - and immediately felt like i’d stumbled onto the set of a weird western. the whole town is just… bleached. everything’s white or grey, and the light is brutal. it’s not a ‘pretty’ kind of brutal, it’s more like a ‘you’re gonna question all your life choices’ kind of brutal.

i’m staying at the Hotel Paisano - it’s… well, it’s the Hotel Paisano. you’ve seen it in movies. it smells faintly of stale whiskey and regret. someone told me that the owner, Jackson Gannett, still hangs out in the lobby, dispensing cryptic advice and occasionally yelling at tourists. i haven’t seen him yet, but i’m keeping my eyes peeled. i found a decent place to eat at the Marfa Grill - seriously, the brisket was on point. check out their menu here: https://www.marfagrill.com/.

spent most of the day wandering around, trying to capture the light. it’s impossible. you can’t really get it. it’s more like it finds you. i was shooting around the Marfa Public Art Installation - Donald Judd’s boxes. they’re… big. and white. and make you think about the nature of art and the futility of existence. i’m not gonna lie, i felt a little lost.

i stumbled across a tiny record store called "The Record Rack." it’s crammed full of vinyl, and the guy running it, Silas, has a truly unsettling collection of vintage synthesizers. i bought a copy of ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’ - it’s probably worth a fortune, but who cares? i’m just here to soak it all in. i heard that Silas only speaks in cryptic riddles and occasionally plays experimental drone music at 3 am.

the whole vibe is just… off. like a glitch in the matrix. i saw a guy in a full cowboy outfit staring intensely at the horizon for about an hour. no one said anything. it was just… there. i’m starting to think marfa is some kind of performance art piece.

i tried to get a decent shot of the McDonald’s - it’s a landmark, apparently. it’s just… there. a giant, chrome-plated beacon of Americana in the middle of nowhere.

i’m meeting a friend, Leo, tomorrow. he’s a sound designer - he’s obsessed with the desert and all its weird noises. he’s coming in from El Paso. if you get bored, El Paso is just a short drive away. he’s got a whole rig of field recorders and microphones. we’re gonna try to capture the soundscape of marfa. i’m hoping for some interesting feedback loops and unsettling drones.

i’m also trying to track down some local artists. i found a few murals around town - mostly abstract stuff. i’m trying to get some shots for my portfolio. i heard that there’s a secret underground art scene happening in the abandoned train depot. someone told me that it’s guarded by a group of performance artists who only communicate through interpretive dance. i’m not sure i’m brave enough to investigate.

honestly, i’m starting to feel like i’m losing my grip on reality. marfa is messing with my head. it’s like a pressure cooker of isolation and weirdness. i need a drink. and maybe a therapist.

check out some local events here: https://www.marfatourism.com/events/

and for lodging, you can’t beat the Gage Hotel: https://gagehotel.com/