Craig Daily Press

Craig — Marc Horowitz, a Los Angeles-based performance artist, visited Craig on Monday to help people bury their problems.

Literally. In the ground. With a shovel.

Dressed in a white suit, Horowitz spent the day consoling and congratulating residents who came out.

It wasn’t Horowitz’s first cross-country trip for a project.

The man People Magazine dubbed one of the “50 Hottest Bachelors” in 2005 for giving out his cell phone number in a Crate & Barrel catalog and inviting people to ask him to dinner is no stranger to different ideas.

Such as using a pack mule to run errands in San Francisco.

Or holding a break dancing competition for senior citizens.

But, in his mind, Horowitz said he is just a person with ideas to make things a little different.

Q: What do you think of the public response your performances have garnered so far?

A: I think it’s a mixed reaction. I think a lot of people don’t know what to think with a lot of these projects. Like, running errands on a pack mule is a little strange. Or traveling across the country having dinner with strangers, or traveling across the country in your signature and burying problems. I mean, I think it’s different. It sits on the edge of comedy and hysteria and also sits on the edge of total seriousness and realness. It sits along these really fine lines.

Q: Do you want people to take you seriously?

A: Sometimes. Sometimes not. I just think it really depends on what the project is. Something like this, I think a lot of the projects are designed to where either people can make fun of the project and just have a good laugh or they can actually come in and do something serious. I think the project kind of takes care of that.

Q: Were you surprised by anybody that came out today?

A: The first guy. He buried his … I don’t know if it was his ex-wife or his wife, I feel terrible. He buried the memories of his ex-wife, who passed away. That really shocked me because he began to cry.

Q: Were you prepared for that?

A: Not really. No. But I guess you have to be prepared for that. But that was his thing. He just rode past us like six times, and he kept giving us the thumbs up and he was definitely a lot happier. I used to do a bunch of projects where — with the Center for Improved Living — it also dealt with more on the art context of things and dealt with improving people’s lives and not so much with comedy and things like that. I think there’s that line between art and comedy and art and entertainment. This sort of rides that same line, if that makes sense.

Q: Do your performances have an overall goal?

A: It’s to let people just free their imaginations, I think. I think even Wamsutter, Wyo., where we delivered breakfast in bed to complete strangers, that’s pretty weird to a town of 62 people. Something like that, if you’re into it, it will break that mold you’ve established for yourself. I know for me, when I go to a museum, or when I got to a movie, or when I go read a book, or when I go look at new pictures, or when I turn on to a new artist or a new comedian or an entertainer, it definitely expands my mind, but I’m really open to it. A lot of the people I’ve met on this trip aren’t into that. They’re like, “You know what? No way. I’ve got this, I’ve got my job, I’ve got my life. I don’t really care about that.” You can’t really break through to those people. But there are some people that are open to new things and I think these projects are designed to sort of get people involved in something that they wouldn’t ever really be involved in. Have them express themselves and be themselves. Something that’s genuine.

Q: What would you consider your greatest success?

A: There’s been quite a few. I guess it would be graduating from college. Because I left home when I was 15, and I got into a lot of trouble. I didn’t know what the hell I was going to do. So, I just went to college and graduated with a degree in business, marketing and macroeconomics. Doing that all myself, that’s pretty great. I think it’s good. I think that really made a difference.

Q: Do you have a failure?

A: Smoking cigarettes. That’s my biggest failure.

Q: Would you say your visit to Craig was a success?

A: Yes. Very. I like it here. It’s calm, it’s nice. I grew up in a town, Chandler, Indiana, and Evansville, but Chandler mostly. It was like 350 people. My best friend had dirt floors, so I understand small town mentality. It’s quaint. It’s close-knit.

Q: How would you describe America?

A: I like America because it’s such a huge country, and there’s so many people with so many different backgrounds and stories and ideas, and family and history, and family history, even. It’s just amazing that we can all come together under one flag. You don’t see Utah battling with Colorado, or Wyoming trying to attack Colorado. It’s incredible. It’s amazing how we can all get along, on such a macro level. On a micro level, it’s a little different. There’s road rage. And there’s people that just have closed minds. I think this project is sort of designed to break boundaries that are sort of perceived. That I need to not pay attention to these people because they’re different. I think different is good. And I think a lot of people in America are open to it.

— Interview by Collin Smith