Happy birthday Jan

Have thought about Jan frequently this year, as always. He’s in our DNA at this point.

This year I wrote an essay about Jan’s music life in New York before moving to Prague, and how his musical experiences may have helped shape his perspective as an artist. This was for the catalog for his art retrospective at DOX Gallery in Prague. Initially I didn’t understand the intellectual seriousness of my assignment; I pictured a bunch of Bohos doing something DIY, like we would have done in the old East Village or Dumbo when they were beautifully barren. So I wrote a very casual, personal essay. Then the gallery came back and said (politely) “No, we want something more substantial” and asked specific questions. I was happy to do it and like what they eventually published in the catalog. (It mentions the musician friends who see this blog, by the way.) But I also liked the shorter, sweeter draft 1, which I share with you here:

http://www.chrisrael.com/blog/remembering_jan_kotik/

Love to family & friends of Jan on his birthday. He’s still giving to us by keeping us together. Chris R

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