Surealville is a word I learned from Buz Blurr. He was smart enough to realize that IS our existence here in Surrealville. When the world seems crazy and you just can’t believe how thoughts are recorded and how people move, it is surrealville, much like our visit to a burrito place out here in the Trans Pecos region and seeing the display of chicharones, salsa, and pedialyte.
Buz was a third generation railroad man with an insight into the world which was expressed through words, but he surely felt dropped in Gurdon, Arkansas with a lifetime of knowing there was more to life and another lifetime of finding it through artwork, writing, and people. People who knew Buz, knew he held the secrets although the secret holder struggled with his art identity through self portraits. Each year he documented another year with wisdom gained and steps made in self consciousness.
We first met Buz through Bill Daniel and included him our 1994 exhibit - MONIKER. We were smitten and spent many of the next years continuing to exhibit Buz’s work and visits to he and his dear wife Emmi when we were driving east on 30, where there were afternoons of art talk, heading to the farm to see his newest accomplishments on the holy trinity of rust, and just gathering around the table sharing coffee, cheesecake and sweetness.
Buz touched more people than most of us would dream of in a lifetime. The Colossus of Roads & Gypsy Sphinx daily markings on trains will be seen by generations, mail art passed across the world, and his numerous crossovers , exhibits, and visits with art folks are in numbers beyond what I can imagine.
Buz told us the story several times of renting a gallery space in New York and driving his work up for an exhibit he put together. I think it was surrealville to him when art folks didn’t realize he was there and flock to see his soulful offerings.
We will miss this complex man who mastered the real meaning of art. Make it and they will come or not…..Surrealville, but you did it for yourself and to survive in conversation with this surreal world.