“Untitled,” 2026. Paint, pencil, pastel, and burnishing over photographic print on paper, 20 × 20 in (each). Courtesy of the artist and Veldt Gallery.
Desert landscapes have long been a source of inspiration for artists. From wide-open skies and endless vistas to golden light and vivid sunsets, the desert is a place where visitors can immerse themselves in profound solitude. For contemporary artist LéAna Clifton, the rugged landscape of far West Texas became the muse for her new exhibition titled Marfa Daydream, now on view at Veldt Gallery in Marfa, Texas, through September 26. Marfa Daydream explores the town’s storied past through abstract images that employ long-exposure photography and mixed media to capture a shifting sense of place and the magical, mundane space of daydreams.
Born in rural South Africa, Clifton moved to Marfa in 2007, where she fell in love with the unique desert landscape. Her work is particularly interested in the way industrial objects, such as passing freight trains, can be transformed into lustrous, abstract compositions. Clifton’s practice combines paint, pencil, pastel, and burnishing over photographs printed on paper. The results are works that exist somewhere between painting and photography in a hazy, dreamlike space. Saturated blues dissolve into hazy oranges, suggesting a liminal state in which trains, landscapes, and memories seem to pass through one another. Like a daydream, the viewer’s eye drifts from one work to the next, constructing its own rhythm and associations. They are invited to slow down and reflect on the passing of time and the luminous space between memory and imagination.
In relation to the dream-like quality of her work, Clifton states that, “Summer is a time to daydream. Daydreaming is vital. It widens my perspective and allows me to see things in a fresh way. I edit my thoughts down to their essence. A minimalism of thought, so to speak. Sometimes I notice things for the first time that were previously invisible to me. Often things are both magical and mundane. This relationship fascinates me. It allows me to get to the core of things, to examine, and rethink. To push forward into the future with new and exciting possibilities.”
Clifton also draws inspiration from Marfa’s evolution over the past century. Once a railroad hub and water stop for passing trains, the town later served as a military outpost and became famous as the filming location for Giant (1956). Since the 1970s, Marfa has emerged as an internationally recognized center for contemporary art, making it a fitting setting for Clifton’s meditation on transformation and continuity.
In relation to the impact of Marfa on her work, Clifton states, “As an artist working in Marfa, the town itself has become part of my toolbox. Its quiet, restful energy creates space for reflection and discovery. It allows me to connect to source with very little friction. Also, as a photographer, the pristine light quality in the high desert is really special. Light and time are always key aspects in my process.”
For contemporary artist LéAna Clifton, the rugged landscape of far West Texas became the muse for her new exhibition, Marfa Daydream, on view at Veldt Gallery in Marfa, Texas, through September 26.
Untitled, 2026. Paint, pencil, pastel, and burnishing over photographic print on paper, 20 × 20 in (each). Courtesy of the artist and Veldt Gallery.
Marfa Daydream explores the town’s storied past through abstract images that employ long-exposure photography and mixed media to capture a shifting sense of place and the magical, mundane space of daydreams.
“Untitled,” 2026. Paint, pencil, pastel, and burnishing over photographic print on paper, 20 × 20 in (each). Courtesy of the artist and Veldt Gallery.
“Untitled,” 2026. Paint, pencil, pastel, and burnishing over photographic print on paper, 20 × 20 in (each). Courtesy of the artist and Veldt Gallery.
In relation to the dream-like quality of her work, Clifton states that, “Summer is a time to daydream. Daydreaming is vital. It widens my perspective and allows me to see things in a fresh way. I edit my thoughts down to their essence. A minimalism of thought, so to speak.”
“Untitled,” 2026. Paint, pencil, pastel, and burnishing over photographic print on paper, 20 × 20 in (each). Courtesy of the artist and Veldt Gallery.
“Untitled,” 2026. Paint, pencil, pastel, and burnishing over photographic print on paper, 20 × 20 in (each). Courtesy of the artist and Veldt Gallery.
In Marfa Daydream, Clifton captures the shifting light and transitory quality of the American high desert, while bringing the viewer into the heady space of daydreams. Her work invites viewers to slow down and reflect on the passing of time and the luminous space between memory and imagination.
“Untitled,” 2026. Paint, pencil, pastel, and burnishing over photographic print on paper, 20 × 20 in (each). Courtesy of the artist and Veldt Gallery.
“Untitled,” 2026. Paint, pencil, pastel, and burnishing over photographic print on paper, 20 × 20 in (each). Courtesy of the artist and Veldt Gallery.
LéAna Clifton, “Marfa Daydream,” Veldt Gallery.
Exhibition Information:
LéAna Clifton
Marfa Daydream
May 15, 2026—September 26, 2026
Veldt Gallery
125 North Highland Avenue, Marfa, Texas, U.S.A.
LéAna Clifton: Website | Instagram
Veldt Gallery: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Veldt Gallery.
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