Until recently I hadn’t realized that the UK had at one time (not sure when) issued a postage stamp that featured a famous woodcut of a WWI dazzle-camouflaged ship by British Vorticist artist Edward Wadsworth (1889-1949).
During the war, Wadsworth actually served as a dock supervisor, meaning that he directed teams of workers who painted enormous ship camouflage schemes onto the full-sized ships in the harbors.
He was a fascinating person in many regards, not just for his involvement in camouflage. He created a number of woodcuts that demonstrate the visual effect of high contrast disruptive patterns, as well as a famous large format painting on the same subject. We’ve focused on various aspects of his life and artistic achievements in earlier postings on this blog.
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| Portrait photograph of Edward Wadsworth |
Dazzle Camouflage: What is it and how did it work?
Art, Women's Rights, and Camouflage
