Liverpool, Merseyside, UK 2nd April, 2015. Sir Peter Blake at the Inaugural sailing of Newly Painted Dazzle Ferry across the Mersey. The Snowdrop has been re-painted in a unique design created by Sir Peter Blake, the artist behind the cover of the Beatles' Sgt Pepper album. This form of camouflage was invented in World War One to confuse the enemy, as the bright and twisty designs made it hard for hostile forces to track the range and speed of allied ships. The Snowdrop was repainted at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead. Credit: Mar Photographics/Alamy Live News
Sir Peter Blake was one of the major figures of British pop art and has strong links with Liverpool. Prepare to be dazzled as the Mersey Ferry becomes the only operating Dazzle Ship in the UK from 2nd April*. Designed by esteemed British pop artist Sir Peter Blake, the eye-catching pattern will cover the ‘Snowdrop’ ferry for two years as part of the World War One Commemorations. Coined ‘Everybody Razzle Dazzle’ the project is commissioned by Liverpool Biennial, 14–18 NOW the First World War Centenary Art Commissions, and Tate Liverpool in partnership with Merseytravel and National Museums Liverpool (Merseyside Maritime Museum). Supported by Arts Council England, National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund and Department for Culture Media and Sport. Unlike other forms of camouflage, dazzle works not by concealing but by baffling the eye; making it difficult for the enemy to estimate a target’s range, speed and direction. Each ship’s unique dazzle pattern featured monochrome and colour in order to avoid making classes of ships instantly recognisable to enemy U-boats and aircraft. Sir Peter Thomas Blake, CBE, RDI, RA (born 25 June 1932) is an English pop artist, best known for co-creating the sleeve design for the Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Blake painted several album sleeves. He designed the sleeve for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band with his wife Jann Haworth, the American-born artist whom he married in 1963 and divorced in 1979. The Sgt. Pepper's sleeve has become an iconic work of pop art, much imitated and Blake's best-known work. Producing the collage necessitated the construction of a set with cut-out photographs and objects, such as flowers, centred on a drum (sold in auction in 2008) with the title of the album. Blake has subsequently complained about the one-off fee he received for the design (£2000), with no subsequent royalties. Blake also made sleeves for the Band Aid single, "Do They Know It's Christmas?"
Size: 3600px × 2400px
Location: Liverpool, Merseyside, UK
Photo credit: © MediaWorldImages / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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