Liverpool pilot cutter number 2, 1953 the Edmund Gardner is being transformed by camouflaged red, black, orange & green stripes,‘razzle dazzle’ painted wartime design. Renowned biennial artist Carlos Cruz-Diez has been commissioned to work with “dazzle” camouflage using an historic pilot ship owned and conserved by Merseyside Maritime Museum. The ship, which is situated in dry dock adjacent to Liverpool’s Albert Dock is being painted by the Cammell Laird team to realise the wartime design.
From 12 June 2014 until the end of 2015 the Edmund Gardner will become a dazzle ship, as part of the the Biennial and First World War commemorations. During her working life of almost 30 years the Edmund Gardner was essentially a base out in the Irish Sea for the Pilotage Service, providing accommodation for up to 32 pilots at a time. The pilots met all shipping approaching the Mersey and guided them into and out of the docks, to ensure their safety. Dazzle camouflage, also known as razzle dazzle or dazzle painting, was a family of ship camouflage used extensively in World War I and to a lesser extent in World War II and afterwards. Credited to artist Norman Wilkinson, it consisted of complex patterns of geometric shapes in contrasting colours, Dazzle camouflage, also known as razzle dazzle or dazzle painting, was a family of ship camouflage used extensively in World War I and to a lesser extent in World War II and afterwards. Credited to artist Norman Wilkinson, it consisted of complex patterns of geometric shapes in contrasting colours, interrupting and . Unlike some other forms of camouflage, dazzle works not by offering concealment but by making it difficult to estimate a target's range, speed and heading. Norman Wilkinson explained in 1919 that dazzle was intended more to mislead the enemy as to the correct position to take up than actually to miss his shot when firing. Dazzle was adopted by the British Admiralty and the Navy with little evaluation. Each ship's dazzle pattern was unique to avoid making classes of ships instantly recognisable to the enemy. The result was that a profusion of dazzle schemes was tried, and the evidence for their success was at best mixed. Carlos Cruz-Diez is one of the great figures of contemporary art, especially kinetic-optic art. His works can be found in the permanent collections of Museum of Modern Art, New York; Tate Modern, London; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Size: 2400px × 3600px
Location: Liverpool, Merseyside, UK
Photo credit: © MediaWorldImages / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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