Tallahassee Democrat - 05/29/2017 Page : C01

Copyright © 2017 Tallahassee Democrat. All rights reserved. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights , updated March2007. 05/29/2017May 29, 2017 8:58 am (GMT +4:00) Powered by TECNAVIA

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B ill Humphries, a pop art inspired

painter, works diligently in his

studio atop Southern Exposure’s

gallery space in Railroad Square.

Creating effervescent works of quirk,

he’s surrounded by canvases ranging in

color and subject matter that serve as

windows into a dimension constructed by

Humphries’ creative eye.Above Humphries’ workspace peeps a man in

underwear and suspenders reaching off thecanvas, his face mummified by gauze. Juttingfrom his hipbone is a pop-up window with a choc-olate Nabisco cookie nestled inside, and fromabove, gears gnash another man’s arm as bubble-letters warn, YOUCH. Dazzling in safety-coneorange and fire-truck red, this piece is a bright,attractive, and nuanced example of how Hum-phries folds food and popular culture into his

creations.“There is some kind of narrative, especially in

the collaged works,” states Humphries. “I’llgravitate towards a strange image and juxtaposethat with food, signage, and typography. I bor-row from magazines and go on my own in termsof typography—that’s the perfect storm of what Ido.”

Two similar pieces by Humphries, titled“CLOG” and “Bob and Betty Blauaugen LovedTheir Meat,” are showcased in COCA’s latestexhibition, “Yum” at the City Hall Art Gallery. Intandem with America’s Second Harvest of theBig Bend, opening reception attendees are en-couraged to bring non-perishables to donate asthey view artwork that celebrates food’s role inour everyday lives. Humphries is energized bythis theme, as the philosophy and intent behindhis own creations continue conversations startedby pop-era artists such as Andy Warhol andJames Rosenquist who were often inspired byfood and its packaging.

“It’s the debris and detritus of the 20th centu-ry filtering through my eyes, brain, and hands,”describes Humphries. “In a way, I’m exploringthe 21st century, and fine-tuning or discoveringfor myself what 20th-century artists discoveredin their art. I’m influenced by German artistsand movements, and how it comes out is chanceand intuition.”

A graphic designer by trade, typography andclean lines are both prominent elements in Hum-phries’ artwork. He arrived in Tallahassee in1974 and attended Florida State University for a

BILL HUMPHRIES EXHIBIT OF FOOD-THEMED WORK OPENS THURSDAYWITH A DRIVE TO DONATE FOOD TO SECOND HARVEST

AMANDA SIERADZKICOUNCIL ON CULTURE & ARTS

If you goWhat: YUM!When: Opening Reception, 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday,June 1; Gallery Open 8 a.m -5 p.m., Monday-Friday,through July 17Where: City Hall Art Gallery, 300 South AdamsStreetCost: Free; opening reception attendees are en-couraged to bring non-perishables to donate toSecond Harvest of the Big BendContact: For more information, visit http://co-ca.tallahasseearts.org/art-in-public-places/city-hall-gallery or call 850-224-2500.

See Humphries, Page 3C

FRANKY VERDECIA.

Bill Humphriesat work on a

painting.

BILL HUMPHRIESAttendees are asked to bringcanned goods for Second Harvestto the art opening for "Yum."

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Tallahassee Democrat - 05/29/2017 Page : C03

Copyright © 2017 Tallahassee Democrat. All rights reserved. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights , updated March2007. 05/29/2017May 29, 2017 8:58 am (GMT +4:00) Powered by TECNAVIA

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TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT » MONDAY, MAY 29, 2017 » 3C

The rigid rows of marble headstonesfollow the hills and hollows of ArlingtonNational Cemetery - overwhelming,humbling, heart-sickening. Is there anyplace other than Arlington where thecomplex wages of war weigh so pro-foundly on the spirit?

Staff Sergeant Mark De Alencar, 1stBattalion, 7th Special Forces Group,was killed in action on April 8, 2017, inNangarhar Province, Afghanistan,fighting ISIS forces. He was interred inArlington on Wednesday, May 10, at 1p.m. I was privileged to witness theceremony.

Six white horses — Percherons, twoabreast — pulled the caisson bearinghis flag-wrapped casket to a large opengrassy area where no grave markersstood.

As the pallbearers moved the casketfrom the caisson to the bier, an Armyband softly played a hymn, “Holy, Holy,Holy.” A ninth Soldier took a stance atthe head of the casket, maintainingrigid attention. Behind him, a small unitof Green Berets had gathered. SpecialForces troops. Staff Sergeant De Alen-car was one of their brothers.

The band played “America the Beau-tiful” as the pallbearers unbanded theflag from the casket and held it tautand flat, centered above coffin. Afterthe seating of the family, Army Chap-lain Hubbs began the service beganwith a prayer.

After reciting the 23rd Psalm, Chap-lain Hubbs addressed the family. “Weare not here to say goodbye. We arehere to say farewell for now.”

Afterward, seven Soldiers bearing

rifles fired three volleys. Then a bugler,standing at a distance, played “Taps.”

At the last note of “Taps,” the pall-bearers began to fold the flag they hadheld over the casket during the cere-mony. The Soldier standing at the headof the casket took the folded flag, madean about-face, and handed it to a GreenBeret general.

The general took the flag, knelt be-fore the widow, Natasha De Alencar,and placed it in her hands, speaking afew quiet words to her. She nodded herhead quickly several times, graspingthe general’s hand. When he stood, sheclutched the flag to her chest, rockinggently to and fro.

As a folded flag was given to all fivechildren in the same manner, one of theolder boys wiped away tears with theheel of his hand.

At the end of the ceremony guestswere invited to speak to the family. Allthe Green Berets knelt in turn beforeeach family member, but, oddly, in linewith them was a black-suited man in awheelchair. When the woman with himpushed him up to the casket, he slid afolded note into a seam in the top of thecoffin.

He stood up, and only then did Irealize that his right leg had been am-putated at the knee. He stood surely,without struggle, and — balanced onone leg — executed a slow, solemn sa-lute.

Staff Sergeant Mark De Alencargave his life fighting those who aredetermined to do us harm — like thou-sands before him in the history of ourcountry. It is impossible to fully appre-hend a depth of courage and commit-ment that holds firm even to death. Butwe can honor the long line of patriotswho have died for us in one simple way.

Live worthy of their sacrifice.Carol Megathlin is a writer living in

Savannah, Georgia, and Fairhope, Ala-bama.

Farewell for now, Staff Sgt. De AlencarCarolMegathlinSPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT

SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT

Staff Sgt. Mark De Alencar was laid to rest at Arlington on May 10.

degree in creative writing, but foundthat the imagery of text itself to be hismain interest. Over the years, he’s cul-tivated skills in photography, painting,and mixed media art alongside his dayjob, and has shown work as part of theFSU Museum of Fine Arts Artists’League, as well as in exhibits in Valdos-ta and Thomasville, Georgia.

Humphries’ artwork typically fea-tures bold, unnatural color palettes.Themes and moods dictate how hechooses color from his paints, and healso tends to work in series. Lately, he’sfocused on film stills from old blackand white movies, capturing iconicfigures with shades of black and gray.In terms of process, he takes referencephotos and cleans up lines and shapesin Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, thenchooses tracing paper or a projector totransfer them to the canvas. Fromthere, Humphries finds the greatestsatisfaction in the fluidity of the initialimage to his final vision, as well as thephysicality of the paint.

“For me, art is my private therapy,”says Humphries. “I love that tactile feelof the rough canvas grain, charcoalpencil, or a brush. When you’re layingdown paint, you can see the shadowsand striations, and you have total con-trol.”

One of his original series, whichfeatures Colonel Sanders from Ken-tucky Fried Chicken fame, captures theessence of Humphries’ questions aboutpresent-day cultural icons and images,though he wants his work to alwaysmaintain a sense of humor. Cheekytitles like, “Which came first: Col. Sand-ers or the Chicken,” ask the viewerthink deeply about the fun, pop imagesand design as he places well-knownicons are put against backdrops like theEgyptian Sphinx and Pyramids.

“The Egyptians built these monu-ments thousands of years ago, andwe’re stuck with Colonel Sanders,”laughs Humphries. “That says some-thing about ancient culture and howwe’re programmed by consumer cul-

ture. It’s all about how we consumethings, why we consume things, or howare we pushed to consume things.”

With the COCA exhibition at the CityHall Art Gallery, Humphries is excitedto see all the different interpretationsof “Yum” from other local artists. Theexhibit will kick off with an openingreception on June 1 from 6-7:30 p.m.,and stay on display through July 17.

Both of Humphries’ works in the“Yum” exhibit are riddled with hiddenundertones, waiting to be uncovered.“CLOG,” which features the Frisch’sBig Boy Restaurant character in a med-

ley of red, white, blue, and yellow, staystrue as a visual representation of theiconic burger-brand with the tongueand cheek “Clog” typography beside it.

“Bob and Betty Blauaugen LovedTheir Meat,” features two blue-facedmodels from the 1950s with a backdropof shadowy power lines, which Hum-phries photographed then transferredto canvas, with a giant, raw steak cutletin the foreground. Though Humphriessees his own connections in these art-works, he likes the viewer to try andpiece together their own stories andconclusions.

“I’m always winking at you,” smilesHumphries. “A good piece of art willspeak to the community or the individ-ual and give a nod to our human experi-ence, and a framed piece of art is awindow to some emotion. It may dis-gust you or it may make you feel satis-fied. It may even make you say, ‘yum.’”

Amanda Sieradzki is the featurewriter for the Council on Culture & Arts.COCA is the capital area’s umbrellaagency for arts and culture (www.talla-hasseearts.org).

HumphriesContinued from Page 1C

BILL HUMPHRIES

"Yum" exhibits some of artist Bill Humphries' food-related themes.

CAUSES

EXCELSIOR, Minn. - Commutersare still rushing about on their way towork as a lone figure climbs a steep hillin an old cemetery.

Gary Marquardt spots a flag on agrave, raises his trumpet — and plays.

“I love to hear Taps echo through thecemetery,” he says. “I’m doing some-thing for these guys. It’s kind of likebeing among friends.

Marquardt will repeat the routine adozen times over the next 45 minutes:find a veteran, say his name and thenplay taps.

“I always think about the funeral,the people standing around here so sadat the loss of their loved one and thenit’s over and you’re left with this,” Mar-quardt says looking down at a grave.

The cemetery visits started threeyears ago after Marquardt attended amilitary funeral and heard a mechan-ical bugle. It bothered him that a re-cording was being used for taps and not

a live bugler.“It just seemed that after what

they’ve given that wasn’t much to ask,”he says.

Having never before played, Mar-quardt walked into a music store andbought his first horn.

Marquardt’s wife Joanie is the bestauthority on his early attempts. “It wasawful,” she laughs.

The Marquardts’ next door neigh-bors, Bruce and Carol Hedblom, wereexposed to Gary’s playing too. “Noinhibitions,” laughs Bruce.

“I would have given up,” adds Carol.“I would have moved out,” chimes in

Bruce.Instead, Gary took lessons and kept

playing.“Seemed like every 15 minutes, it

was all the time,” says Joanie Mar-quardt. “We were all hoping he wouldget better. And then he did.”

Nearly every day Gary Marquardtplays at the graves of veterans — al-ways leaving behind a penny on theirstones as his symbol of the pittance of

his service compared to theirs.But why so driven? Turns out Mar-

quardt — now 68 and comfortably re-tired after selling his company — got apass in his 20s.

Marquardt was all but certain he’dbe heading to Vietnam after college,until a bleeding ulcer intervened.

“I collapsed at work,” he says. “Andall of a sudden I was 4-F”

4-F: unfit to serve.Marquardt’s father had served dur-

ing WWII, some of his high schoolfriends had already died in Vietnam,and Marquardt was suddenly freed ofhis obligation.

“I think ashamed is the word,” hesays. “I was ashamed I was happy Ididn’t have to go.”

Four decades later, Marquardt putson the uniform of the organization “Bu-gles Across America” and volunteers,roughly a hundred times a year, to playat military funerals.

“I don’t play perfect every time - Ireally try to,” he says, “but I’m thererepresenting all of us and it comes

from the heart.”Not a day goes by that Marquardt

does not play Taps. When he travels, hishorn goes with him.

Many days he’ll stop at one ceme-tery to play on his way to a funeral atanother.

And every day as the sun sets overhis Lake Minnetonka home, Marquardtwalks to the railing of his third floordeck, points his horn toward the lakeand plays Taps.

His neighbors no longer close theirwindows at the sound of Marquardtplaying,but open them just to hear him.They stop what they’re doing, stand atattention, and listen.

On some nights, from two doorsdown, Alan Greene emerges on hisdeck too, playing on his flute the echoto Marquardt’s Taps.

“It’s a last call, it’s daily rest,” saysMarquardt. “It’s a prayer, to me.”

4-F, Gary Marquardt was spared thesacrifices of his friends. So for now,and as for as long as he is able, he’ll beplaying for 4-Them.

Taps playing retiree atones for missed service in VietnamBOYD HUPPERTKARE-TV