Falldowns and Architecture
Photographs and stories by Alexa Walker

WHERE THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM 
West Texas

I first came across The Oasis on a solitary trip coming through the mountains near Ft. Davis, Texas. I stopped to photograph it, but was not satisfied with the results. So, another road trip later, I found myself on that very back road again. There sat The Oasis, bullethole ridden, stark against the landscape. On closer inspection this time, I found there were no insides to the building, just plywood walls, and no back. What was this? Spending more time in Ft. Davis and Alpine, I discovered the rest of the story: Dancer Texas, the movie, was filmed there, and this was the set. There had been gas pumps and lights, vending machines, flags and people here, but no more. And one local, when describing how things are in this part of the country, gave me my title when she said: "Around here, things aren't always what they seem."

A Postscript:  Sadly, The Oasis is gone now, and I still haven’t found out what happened.