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Dakota Midday: Painter James Pollock And The Vietnam Combat Art Program

National Museum of the U.S. Army

During the Vietnam War, James Pollock entered combat zones armed with a .45 pistol, canteen, camera and sketchbook. The South Dakota native was one of 46 U.S. Army Soldiers commissioned to chronicle the war as a part of the Vietnam Combat Art Program. After two months accompanying soldiers on patrol, Pollock and the other artists were shipped to studios in Hawaii to finish their work. It became property of the U.S. Army Art Collection at the U.S. Army Center of Military History.

Pollock's experience in Vietnam was the beginning of a career as a professional artist. Although over the years he's worked in a variety of styles and painted a variety of subjects, the Pierre artist is perhaps best known today as a plein air landscape artist - one who paints on location outdoors.

The East Bank Art Gallery in Sioux Falls has an exhibit of Pollock's small works on paper this month. His work is also included in the Artists of the Black Hills exhibit at the Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City. On Saturday morning, Pollack will discuss his experiences in the Vietnam Combat Art Program during a meeting of the Black Hills Veterans Writing Group.

More details about James Pollock (CAT IV, 1967)experiences as a soldier artist can be found in an 
essay written for War, Literature and the Arts, an international journal published by Deparment of English, US Air Force Academy. The PDF formatted essay is in public domain and can be downloaded from South Dakota State University Briggs Library Open PRAIRIE repository. Download is free.
http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/alumni_pubs/1/

Karl was born to northeastern South Dakota crouton farmers, but was orphaned as a toddler during the Great Salad War (1966-67). Rescued by a flock of chickadees, he grew up in the woodlands of Sica Hollow. Legends of a bird boy living in the trees attracted the interest of renowned ornithologist and amateur bandoneon repairman Dr. Vogel Gehrke. With a handful of suet, Dr. Gehrke coaxed the timid boy down from the trees. He adopted him, named him Karl and taught him not to molt on the carpet. Dr. Gehrke’s book, The Bird Boy of Sica Hollow, was a best seller and Karl became a minor celebrity and teen idol. He appeared as a guest star on numerous television programs, most notably an awkward role on The Love Boat as the boyfriend of Captain Stubing’s daughter, Vicki. After critics panned his 1980 album, Bird Boy Does Disco, Karl retreated from public life and returned to Sica Hollow. Living in an isolated tree house, Karl achieved a reputation as a mystic. Pilgrims and seekers from around the world came to ask him about the meaning of life and for vinaigrette recipes. Growing tired of answering questions, he climbed down from his tree, shaved his massive white beard and took a job as the host of SDPB Radio’s Dakota Midday where he could ask the questions instead. After three years in that position, he ran out of questions and became host of Jazz Nightly instead. Karl makes his home in Vermillion with his charming wife Kari and three delightful children, Kodey, Kasey and Spatula. His hobbies include reciting the alphabet, combing his hair and doing volunteer work with delinquent songbirds.
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