Idiot Tracks

Here are the first of my non-traditional postmodern photographs taken from the Race Track. I admit to being a little disappointed when I arrived for this particular visit. Something did not vibe with my memory of the place from the first visit I had made. At first I ignored it but later I brought up my discontent with Brandon Allen, who was on his 3rd visit, and he agreed. It seemed as if something was missing. As if there had been no...whatever the phenomenon is that enables the rocks to move. Perhaps the magic of the place had died and had been replaced by morons.

Let me explain, to get to the Race Track you must take a long drive into the middle of nowhere on a road that is notorious for shredding tires. (I kid not. My first visit resulted in a tire that looked like it got sent through a powerful paper shredder a couple of times.) It is an unique area known for the natural yet mysterious movement of rocks and the tracks they leave. Yet everywhere I looked there were things that destroyed this mystique. There were signs of footprints left by people walking on the playa while it was wet, rocks were separated from their tracks and moved to other spots (I assume for someones picture), then the worst of all was the tracks left by someone who went for a drive on the playa.

Why make the pilgrimage to a place of wonder only to kill the very thing that gave the location life and magic in the first place? Is it that the ego of man is that fragile or are we just that nearsighted and inconsiderate? I worry what will be left if people continue to make locations like this their playground. Thats enough, rant over.