It’s 1997, and one day an extraordinary photographic fusion takes place between Antonin Kratochvil and David Bowie in the Meatpacking District of New York City, resulting in a series of famous, iconic portraits. Two equals in their fifties, each living his own ups and downs in life, met that day on the set, both in a period of their lives where they were both finding their personal and artistic balances of undeniable quality, originality and defying any categorization into genres.

Antonin Kratochvil and David Bowie share some characteristic qualities – both of them are unrestrained and vivacious, charismatic and neither lacks humility arising from the achievement of their highly creative and original careers. Their art serves them to build historical bridges from the past to the future. Their ancient flamboyance is transformed into a mature message, a statement of the relevance of these formidable artists. In one of his interviews, David Bowie says: „I have no idea where I’m coming from, but I promise not to be boring.” The same goes for Antonin Kratochvil’s photographic credo of “knowing how to see and understand.”

The book is part of the 75th birthday celebrations of Antonin Kratochvil and David Bowie.

Pavlína Vogelová & Michael Persson