Personally, Barry Cohen’s passing is difficult for me to confront. I wrote something that was flowery to say how much he would be missed. Barry was not flowery. He was a tough Brooklyn Jew. I now realize he would be pissed if I went all flowery at this time. So I will keep this simple and to the point.

Barry was my friend. We lived in the same neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, living only a few blocks apart. We were the same age and attended the same high school. We grew up on the “rank out”, a New Yorker term for criticizing and making fun of someone. This never left us. On first seeing each other at an art show, Barry would shout out “Hey you stupid Mick, look at this!” at which point he would promptly moon me. It was always a show stopper.

We all fell the pain and shed our tears over the loss of Barry. I know many who came to know Barry enjoyed him, and join me in sending to his family that love we all feel for him. His extraordinary humor, vitality, and professionalism will always be carried with us.

You will be missed, my friend.

For those who wish to remind themselves again of what drove Barry as an artist and human being, read it in his own words: http://cool-pools.com/acrylic/

Bill Kinney

Is sad indeed ...in my opinion is sad and it hurts when a stranger dies....but when the person is so close to you and your soul is even more painful