New profession I’ve picked up:Â Graffiti Artist. The pay isn’t great, and the legal ramifications are higher than your average occupation, but a girl’s gotta express herself.
All right, all right, I’m not actually tagging the streets of San Francisco. I’m just leaving my mark on a Cadillac in a West Texas cow pasture.
Still confused? Let me back up for a moment, both with the camera and the story. In the middle of a field on the outskirts of Amarillo, Texas, 10 Cadillacs line up at an odd angle (allegedly the same angle as the Great Pyramid of Giza). It’s not the result of a Texas tornado, but rather a 1974 art installation known as Cadillac Ranch.
Though the installation is in the middle of a private cow pasture (and previously in a wheat field 2 miles west before a relocation in 1997), visitors are encouraged to not only cross the muddy field, but to contribute to the art piece themselves. Cans of spray paint are piled in front (I imagine they’re regularly carted away), and layers upon layers of paint splatter the striped down classic cars.
It’s a popular spot, with visitors from around the globe arriving to paint pictures, immortalize a memory (if only for a day or two – with limited surface space and high traffic, the paint is always evolving), or simply write their name. Some come prepared with their own cans of paint, others poke through the slush pile to find a half empty can.
I came prepared with the best accessory of all that day – rain boots!
A recent rainstorm left all but one car in several inches of water. So, while the other visitors crowded in the mud, I was able to walk right up to the car of my choice and leave my mark.
Cory didn’t fare so well – I don’t think his Sperrys were meant for mud! And I’ve now realized the amount of pictures I have of Cory with his pants rolled up is embarrassing. For both of us.
So what do I think of Cadillac Ranch? I give it two thumbs up!
Point of the story? Texas is fun. Interactive art installations are fun. And cow-proof gates are not fun in the mud:
Have you ever heard of Cadillac Ranch? Or been to visit? Apparently it is one of the most iconic American roadside attractions!
My addition to the cars? A shameless plug, of course!
More shots in the slideshow below!
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Do I spy a shout out to me?
Everyone was wondering where you were! 🙂 We didn’t write it, but thought it was hilarious!
Where there any other funny quotes on the cars? It seems like a lot of it drips off over time and fades.
We loved this place too! Your pictures are gorgeous. It was dry for us, but you’ve made the mud look like so much fun.
Glad you like the pictures! It’s such a fun roadside attraction to stop for some photos.