Frederick Henry Nicholas Trenchard

December 6, 1941 - May 1, 2025

Artist, Frederick Henry Nicholas Trenchard, passed away on the morning of May 1, 2025 at his home in New Orleans. He was eighty-three years old.

Fred was born on December 6, 1941 to Fred Trenchard and Doris Castellanos Trenchard. He was raised with two sisters, Lynne and Judith (Judy), at the family home in the City Park area of New Orleans. Fred descended from a long line of old New Orleans families dating back to the 18th century. Judge, lawyer, teacher, and journalist Henry C. Castellanos, author of 'New Orleans As It Was', 1895, being one of his most notable relatives.

Fred was baptised and confirmed at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, and there, attended elementary school. He continued his secondary school education at Saint Aloysius.

After high school, in April, 1959, Fred and some of his hot-rodding and car cruising buddies enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. They rode the Southern Pacific Railroad Sunset Limited to San Diego and later completed boot camp at Camp Pendleton. Fred was selected to become a cryptographic communication specialist with the HQMC G-2 Intelligence Directorate and was assigned to his first post later that year in Southeast Asia, at the beginning of what would become known as the Vietnam War. Fred served at other posts in Cuba and in the United States. He was a decorated pistol and rifle marksman, and represented the Corps in shooting competitions.

Fred was honorably discharged with the rank of Lance Corporal in 1963, and returned to New Orleans, where he enrolled in the recently established Louisiana State University in New Orleans, choosing a liberal arts studies curriculum with an emphasis on studio art. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1968. Fred's first exhibition was that same year at the Lowe Gallery in New Orleans.

Fred established his first studio in the French Quarter. He befriended many of the creative people of the time, including painter Leonard Flettrich and photographer Clarence John Laughlin. He exhibited with Luba Glade Gallery on Toulouse Street in 1969. The next year, he moved to Galerie Simonne Stern on Royal Street. Fred's 'Second Position - Simonne in a Pool', 1970, is in the permanent collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art.

By his own admission, Fred's artwork was autobiographical, with many paintings being self-portraits. Whimsical, stylized and colorful oils and watercolors with titles, 'The Wizard', Trenchard Collection, 'Toulouse Lautrec', Private Collection and 'Bicycle Dream', Private Collection, are among his paintings of the late 1960's.

Fred married Jenny and became a father to son, Erich. He would move with his family to Florida, where he would pursue a masters of fine art degree at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He studied with Jack Flam, the noted American art educator and historian. Fred returned to New Orleans and later attended Newcomb College-Tulane University where he continued graduate studies in fine art, eventually earning his MFA. Fred was interested in law and would regularly audit classes at Tulane University School of Law.

In the early 1970's, he moved to a lower Garden District studio. Fred's art began to further develop in theme, technique, scale and popularity. His exhibitions at Galerie Simonne Stern sold out. Each succeeding exhibition more visually adventurous and explorative than the previous one. His culturally incisive oil on canvas, 'Massacre of the Innocents', 1971, in the permanent collection of the Ogden Museum of Art, is representative of this moment in time.

Throughout the 1970's Fred's life was dynamic and productive. Fred remarried, and with wife Kathleen and son Marcel, moved to New York City, where he immersed himself in the vibrant capital of the artworld. He established a large studio in a former bank in Brooklyn. He was a regular at art museums, galleries, artist studios and the happenings of Uptown, Midtown, Soho and Greenwich Village. He worked various jobs during the day and painted at night. Peter Dean of the Rhino Horn Group painted his portrait. Ivan Karp of the OK Harris Gallery acquired his paintings. He was friends with fellow New Orleanian and abstract expressionist painter Fritz Bultman. Fred commuted between New York and New Orleans for most of the decade, maintaining studios and having shows in both places. Fred exhibited at numerous museums, universities and art centers across the United States. 'Dejeuner Ooze - Infinite Dinner - Simonne and Walter', 1972-73, Bailey Collection, 'Flagellation Lullaby', 1975, Ogden Museum of Art, 'Algiers One', 1975, Bailey Collection and 'Two Types of Freedom', 1978, Thomas Collection, are several of the important paintings representing this time. 'The Battle of the Heart and Mind' was a successful painting series created later in the decade.

In 1980, Fred was offered and accepted an art professorship with the University of Hawaii at Manoa. In addition to his teaching and painting responsibilities, he pursued a study of Hawaiian life and culture. Fred met Kahuna Kamuela Price, Elder Counsel of the Hou 1778 Hawaiians, and became a welcomed advisor to Price and Chief Maui Loa, true descendants of the historic tribal royalty of the pre-contact indigenous native Hawaiian people, and then, a lifelong advocate and activist for their cause of tribal sovereignty and pursuit of independence. During the remainder of the 1980's, Fred painted symbolic Hawaiian landscapes and created personal mythologies in large scale and triptych. Back in Louisiana, he began the 'Demonology of New Orleans' series in drawing and painting. The Contemporary Arts Center, CAC, New Orleans, presented a comprehensive mid-career retrospective of his artwork.

Fred applied his creative talents to novel theoretical concepts proposed to him by a variety of individuals and businesses, and became involved with the practice of integrating science, education and aesthetics. Primatech Experiential Learning was one these ventures. He befriended and dialogued with Sister Grace Pilon, founder and president of Workshop Way, Inc. Fred became a friend and advisor to the renowned Japanese scientist and inventor, Dr. Yoshiro Nakamatsu, and would entertain him on his visits to New Orleans. Isomorphica was another art concept and process Fred developed based on Isomorphism, which functions within many disciplines, yet, essentially refers to, in art, the similarity or identity of form, shape and structure. In addition, Fred concepted and designed a complex interactive environmental learning facility entitled 'Space Sensorium' for NASA at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

Throughout the 1990's, Fred continued to live between Hawaii and Louisiana. He cared for his beloved Mother, Doris, much of the time until she passed in December of 1994. During these interceding years, he continued his 'Demonology of New Orleans' series, and conceived and created the 'Synthetic Nature' series. 'The Glory of Love, Synthetic Nature', 1999, Bailey Collection, is an important example. Through these years, Fred no longer desired art gallery representation and sold his artworks exclusively via private agency.

At the beginning of the 21st century, Fred deepened his personal study of Quantum Physics, specifically, Quantum Entanglement, which is a quantum physics phenomenon where particles become connected, sharing a united quantum state, regardless of distance. Hence, his next series, 'Quantum Entanglement', with painting titles, 'Portrait Head of Marcel Duchamp Ascending in the Afterlife', 'Zarathustra's Grandson Cavorting in Copenhagen Landscape' and 'Carl Jung's Portrait in Cosmological Afterlife As Mandala Entangled in Bose Einstein Condensate Beneath Planck Constant Zone'. The results are complex and compelling; theoretically and visually indicative of the contemporary cultural zeitgeist.

A quote from Fred:

"I wanted to keep working to make a breakthrough. The atomized sections of the new paintings, that's the stuff I made up, the stuff which the challenge is to combine into something simultaneously coherent and novel. This is the core of the quantum paradigm in objective terms. Then it's a matter of biz as usual, color, perspective, shade, movement, light, dark, etc. Simple really. The big innovation is the 'How To' that teaches how to produce everything from scratch using solely mental capacity. That is the link to the Divine."

Fred returned to New Orleans for good after Hurricane Katrina and maintained his residence here until his passing.

Art critics have assigned descriptives to Fred's art such as Magist, a derivative of Visionary Imagist. Fred dismissed these identifiers as inaccurate and convenient, and rejected the rationale for them. Fred was a contemporary figurative and abstract painter living within a time and place, yet not associated with any specific art movement or school, except for what he believed was the one of his own imagination, creation and design.

Fred is remembered by many as one who critiqued and eschewed the local New Orleans art establishment because of what he believed was its parochial attitude and chronic willingness to compromise on professional fine art ethics and institutional standards and practices, which were originally codified to fairly and equally serve the public at large. Yet, all too often, were manipulated by some for personal social, cultural and economic advantage.

In homage, Fred was a well educated, strong willed, independent American man, veteran, teacher and artist; intelligent, restless, brash and never quite accepting of the pervasive cultural simulacrum. An individualist. His ultimate stated understanding of the arts was that the expression is either original or referential; serious or not. He made personal and professional sacrifices to live a life which was true to his intellectual and creative identity. In totum, a man of integrity.

Fred is survived by his son, Marcel E. Trenchard of New Orleans, Grandson Marcel F. Trenchard of New Orleans, son, Erich R. Sysak of Thailand, Fred's sister, Mrs. Lynne T. Hemstreet of Houma, Dr. William and Gretchen Bailey of New Orleans, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

"Semper Fi"

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the soul of Frederick Henry Nicholas Trenchard and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Any donations in Fred's name can be made to the charity of your choice.

Details and updates to final ceremonies arrangements will be posted at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/metairie-la/frederick-trenchard-12362259