While Marfa has a long military history and has served as a popular destination for movie crews, it was artist Donald Judd that put Marfa on the map. He began buying buildings here in the 1970s, working with New York's DIA Foundation to find a permanent home for his large-scale pieces. He purchased 340 acres that once belonged to the military—in fact German POW's were housed here after World War II—and used existing artillery sheds and barracks to house his installations. Here we see his fifteen untitled works in concrete, which he placed from 1980-86. Each structure was poured on-site, and though I wanted to get closer, I was warned that it was rattlesnake season. No thanks. Photo 3 of 20 in Two Days in Marfa, Texas by Amanda Dameron

Two Days in Marfa, Texas

3 of 20

While Marfa has a long military history and has served as a popular destination for movie crews, it was artist Donald Judd that put Marfa on the map. He began buying buildings here in the 1970s, working with New York's DIA Foundation to find a permanent home for his large-scale pieces. He purchased 340 acres that once belonged to the military—in fact German POW's were housed here after World War II—and used existing artillery sheds and barracks to house his installations. Here we see his fifteen untitled works in concrete, which he placed from 1980-86. Each structure was poured on-site, and though I wanted to get closer, I was warned that it was rattlesnake season. No thanks.