Razzle Dazzle

Small display at the Walker Art Gallery looking at the First World War practice of painting ships in brightly coloured asymmetric patterns to create an optical illusion which obscured the speed and direction of the ships.

I find it fascinating that this effect was invented by the artist Norman Wilkinson and undertaken by Edward Wadsworth, an intelligence office for the Royal Naval Reserve and a Vorticist. I think this is the only good use I’ve seen for Vorticisim!

The display just consisted of a good commentary and four woodcuts by Wadsworth. I would love to have seen more, although I did see the Dazzle ship at the Albert Dock and I go past the one in London everyday on the boat! The woodcuts were in Vorticist style and did give some idea of how the camouflage would have worked as in them the boats blended into their backgrounds.

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