Esoteric Survey

Marfa, Texas Population: 1,981 (2010 Census)
Marfa has a water tower
There's a book shop, Marfa Book Co.
A food truck too, Food Shark
The local coffee and ice cream shop, Frama
The vintage shop, Cast + Crew (super nice owners)
The craft and dry goods store, Tienda M.  The tumbleweed lamp is so cool.
Tienda M has a Shiro Kuramata vase as a prop (that means not for sale).  Wait, what, a Kuramata vase? 
Marfa National Bank building, now owned by the Judd Foundation. These are the sort of cues that let you know Marfa is not your typical West Texas small town.
The Drive-In is run by Ballroom Marfa
Ballroom Marfa art center The ratio of space dedicated to art in Marfa has got to be higher than almost anywhere else in the country. 
The only chain store in Marfa is an art project, by artists Elmgreen and Dragset.  Prada Marfa is a mandatory photo stop. It's also technically not in Marfa.

Calder and Abstraction, at LACMA No photos allowed, and there were plenty of guards making sure of it.  Trust me, you need to go see this exhibit.
James Turrell: A Retrospective, also at LACMA 
 James Turrell, "Breathing Light" is an 8 minute walk-in environment with a constantly changing spectrum of lights.
Art that you have to take your shoes off for is the best.
Turrell and Eames
Along with the light pieces are several exhibits that deal with larger scale works, like the Roden Crater Project and other site-specific works.  There's a lot of ephemera too. I wish I was on the ball and was able get a spot to see Perceptual Cell and Dark Matters before they sold out. 
If you haven't already been, don't forget to go to TANYA AGUIÑIGA: FIBER ELEMENTS at Reform She'll be at LACMA soon too. Wanna bet?

AP, Tackett and ??
Very cool measuring cups. I doubt they're Tackett.

Sweet little Lane

In 1966, Alexander Girard designed the interior of The Compound restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico. 


For the most part, the restaurant looks as is did in 1966. One exception is the missing "Sansi and Friends" mural on the right . The mural, by Girard,depicts his daughter and four others at a table. The red text painting on the left is now black.  Source:ALEXANDER GIRARD,by Todd Oldham & Kiera Coffee
2013 The Girard fabric tiles are still on the ceiling, no Sansi.  
1966 Source:ALEXANDER GIRARD,by Todd Oldham & Kiera Coffee

2013 I made a reservation for the table right under the brass face. I had the wild mushrooms with organic stone ground polenta.


 Food mural next to the kitchen
The Navajo rug ceiling patchwork is still there. 

La Gardo Tackett

TANYA AGUIÑIGA: FIBER ELEMENTS
The Landing at Reform
OPENING RECEPTION:THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5 TH, 7-9:30 PM ON DISPLAY: DECEMBER 5TH -FEBRUARY 1ST
 "If Beatrice Wood was the Mama of Dada, then Tanya Aguiñiga surely  qualifies as the patron saint of theLos Angeles modern craft movement."
LA Times Tanya has a long list of accolades to back this statement up. She's been on the cover ofAmerica Craft magazine. The prestigious Crafit in Americafilmed a segment on her. CAFAM (Craft and Folk Art Museum) had an exhibition of her work in 2011. It really goes on and on. The people who know craft and design -- like the aforementioned list, Gerard O'Brien from Reform (a longtime supporter), institutions, major collectors and me (way lower on the totem pole of anyone listed) -- know Tanya is amazing. I even sleep with one of her sculptures hanging over my bed (one of the few things I own that was made after the 60's).  Anyway, this show is going to be great and I'm sure the opening…

Alexander Girard mural at the First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque, 1965
The mural is made of 5,000 tiles of reclaimed wood that were collected by Girard and his son Marshall.
Each of the 22 symbols represents a different faith. From the First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque website: "Unitarian Universalist churches are non-creedal churches. We don't have one set of beliefs that everyone must share in order to join. Therefore, our churches are very diverse, theologically speaking. You will find liberal Christians, atheists, agnostics, pagans, Buddhists, and believers in all varieties of higher powers worshipping together, discussing their beliefs, and learning from each other. We think that diversity enriches us all as we talk about a reality that none of us can possibly know completely."







The key
The mural was originally installed in this space but a new larger sanctuary was built adjacent to this room and the mural was recently moved. The church staff person who was nice en…