Marathon, Texas – 2023

There are no landmarks in this image, no famous references and no famous people. Instead, there are just a couple of prompts and those prompts all emphatically shout Texas. That was my goal; to stage a playful vignette that incorporated a strong sense of place without going over the top. This would be a hard challenge in most US States, but in Texas there are cards to play with.

The set in West Texas was designed with meticulous care and I thank all involved. It was the perfect canvas to tell stories and, true to the era it portrays, the nearest community of note was 45 minutes away. The sense of remoteness was most genuine.

We have traveled across this vast state with a frequency that suggests we have developed a deep affection and that would be true. John Steinbeck got there first and summed it up far better than I could ever do.

“I have said that Texas is a state of mind, but I think it is more than that. It is a mystique closely approximating a religion. And this is true to the extent that people either passionately love Texas or passionately hate it and, as in other religions, few people dare to inspect it for fear of losing their bearings in mystery or paradox. But I think there will be little quarrel with my feeling that Texas is one thing. For all its enormous range of space, climate, and physical appearance, and for all the internal squabbles, contentions, and strivings,

Texas has a tight cohesiveness perhaps stronger than any other section of America. Rich, poor, Panhandle, Gulf, city, country, Texas is the obsession, the proper study, and the passionate possession of all Texans.” John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America.