“The desert really doesn’t want you there,” Friedman says. “You’re in a constant battle against wind, rain, dust, and, in the summer, blistering heat.” The high desert of far West Texas can be unforgiving terrain. Just ask Douglas Friedman, the globe-trotting photographer renowned for his copious talents and bonhomie, to say nothing of his signature mustache and tattoos. Nine years ago, Friedman fell under the siren spell of Marfa, the diminutive Lone Star city and art mecca (population roughly 2,000) once described affectionately by John Waters as “The Jonestown of Minimalism” for its connection to artist Donald Judd. “The desert really doesn’t want you there. You’re in a constant battle against wind, rain, dust, and, in the summer, blistering heat,” Friedman says, reflecting on the challenges of building his serene…
