Save Prada Marfa

A few weeks ago it was brought to my attention by our dear friend Gray Malin that Prada Marfa was on the chopping block…literally.  If you don’t know about Prada Marfa I’ll give you the readers digest version…Prada Marfa is a permanently installed sculpture by artists Elmgreen and Dragest situated northwest of Valentine, Texas just off Route 90.  The installation was inaugurated on October 1, 2005, being hailed a pop architectural land art project and designed to resemble a Prada store with two large windows displaying Prada shoes and handbags picked out and provided by Miuccia Prada herself from the fall/winter 2005 collection.  It is a destination, one I have dreamed of and plotted all of the Instagram pictures I would take in front of it for years.

Prada Marfa is particuarly near and dear to Gray’s heart because 1., he grew up going to Marfa and 2., in 2009 when he went to see the Prada installation for the first time and just happened to be eating a banana, that peel was the first picture he took in front of the installation (above)…this image eventaully gave way to his entire series.  A series which introduced me (and countless others) to Gray and of course has a place in the hearts of every fashion obsessed woman and man in the world.

To help the cause Gray has launched a never-released photo (1st image above) from the series to help benefit Ballroom Marfa, the non profit that originally helped fund the installation and continues to maintain it.  The signed $99 print will be for sale for 1 WEEK ONLY (this week) on his website, and 25% of the proceeds will be donated to the Ballroom to help raise awareness about the current law in place and hopefully save Marfa.

In Gray’s words, “the image, titled Pondering Prada Marfa was selected to remind us that although art is supposed to ignite a conversation and force us to dig deeper, it is also for our pleasure and enjoyment. If the installation was torn down it would deny many people a chance to enjoy this incredible ‘pop architectural land-art’ installation. Through this photograph, we hope to bring back Ballroom Marfa’s mission to empower artist to create– art is for art’s sake!”

Now let’s review shall we?  For $99 you get a limited edition, signed, Gray Malin print and you help save one of the most iconic pieces of art in the US?  This is obviously a no brainer.  And I’d just like to warp this all up in a pretty bow by saying if Prada Marfa closes before I have a chance to see it…well I’m going to be all sorts of insert-word-I-won’t-say-on-the-blog-because-I’m-a-lady, so let’s help save it shall we?  truly, MKR

All images via Gray Malin