Public Privates: Feminist Geographies of Meditated Spaces

Abstract

even after his death in 1994. The museum that he established in Marfa, the Chinati Foundation, and his home and working spaces have become tourist attractions, as have numerous other galleries that have come and gone. Chinati showcases the work of Judd and influential modern artists Dan Flavin, John Chamberlain, and Robert Irwin. Something of interest to cultural geographers is that each of these artists utilize space intimately in their designs. Shafer’s consideration of Judd’s use of space is compelling; at one point, she even speculates how the books of geographers such as J.B. Jackson found in his library may have influenced his work. Clearly a fan of the artists, Shafer is not fawning in her praise, and examines the sometimes-contradictory actions that they and the inheritors of Judd’s legacy have undertaken. Tourism is the driver of Marfa’s contemporary economy and, arguably, identity. Shafer’s research is not a critical analysis of this phenomena. There are no interviews with tourists, nor substantive attempts to explain tourist demand for the town. Rather, the role of tourism is considered largely in the context of how outsider and insider perspectives and interactions with place may differ considerably, and the tangible impacts this may have on space. In catering to the transitory whims of tourists, Marfa has become an ephemeral place, with businesses coming and going like tumble weeds. That which defines Marfa for so many outsiders—art and trendiness—are alien to the lived experiences of many Marfa residents. This book is an easy, enjoyable, and informative read. It appeals to both the casual and academic reader, and those familiar and otherwise with the Big Bend area of Texas. It will be a valuable addition to the collections of many cultural geographers, especially those with an interest in sense of place, art, and tourism.