Ivan who was 67 years young when he passed away this Thursday was the man who held the title as the artistic director of the infamous The Plastic People of the Universe as well as being an underground writer of mainly poetry . Friends called him the "Magor" which translate roughly to "Crazy One" or "Looney". He supported social movements alongside compatriot writer and ex president Václav Havel.
In an interview he explained his motives:
The only issue was to be able to do one's own thing, music, art, totally independently of what was happening here on the official scene... But because we lived in a society where the communists controlled the entire public life, any activity that was independent was a deadly threat to them.
He spoke about his time in prison, spending no less than 5 prision sentences for his anti-communist crusades although it is important to note he was also a critic of democracy and he campaigned for the individual :
I never fought for our Czech-Moravian nation. I always fought on my own behalf. I served 8.5 years in prison for that but that’s the price you pay for pride. And I am perfectly willing to serve another 8.5 years and I absolutely don’t care what kind of regime is in power. Sincerely, I fought for myself and the fact that it had an impact on my friends and people around, who may have made some decisions under my influence, is of secondary importance.
The Plastic People band due to their resistance to the authorities, inspired free-thinking intellectual groups to create a new society outside the oppressive system, where they held private art exhibitions and other underground societies.
He was seen at a party last month were he was displeased at his medical condition which prohibited him from drinking alcohol, which he cited as his inspiration, a friend quoted him as saying "Since doctors banned me from drinking, I have stopped writing"
