Marphemeral

As a medium of preserving art, a skateboard is temporary at best. The graphics that appear on skateboard decks are meant to be gradually scratched and scraped off, leaving a unique pattern indicative of the rider’s style and ability. Despite this, skateboards have been a vehicle for presenting and preserving works of art for decades. This presents a dilemma. On one hand, the art is cherished and highly valued. On the other, the medium is meant to be used up and thrown away. Reminiscent of Tibetan sand paintings, the emphasis becomes the act of creation and momentary observation rather than preservation and ongoing evaluation. In short, the art is ephemeral. Here for only a brief moment of time; preserved only in the memories of those who created and witnessed it while it existed.

Similarly, the attraction and appeal of Marfa, TX is also ephemeral in nature. Whether you’re talking about the desert blooms, the here one day, gone the next nature of local businesses, the festivals that transform this town one weekend at a time, or the phenomenon of the lights themselves, much about Marfa is temporary and fleeting in nature.

Marphemeral is an art collective that modifies skateboard decks, trucks, and wheels, as well as roller skates, t shirts, ` and other ephemera. For more info, visit:

https://marphemeral.marfamakers.org

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