Military

Oil on board 61 x 61cm

A military band had just finished playing when I came upon the group in front of a navy ship in Marseille, France. They were breaking up, and wandered away, carrying their instruments and flags representing their division.The middle fellow is holding a cornemuse, a French bagpipe.
The people of the military fascinate me. Their lives are put at serious risk, while their daily routine must be banally boring. How do they manage? The companionship that must alleviate their stresses didn’t seem apparent that day, as each marin seemed to be off in his/her own world.