A ball is hit over the chain link fence, and in searching for it in the grass (a green ball especially) it may be difficult to see because its shape is broken up by the shadow of the fence.
It has had other names as well: “umbrella camouflage,” “garnished fish net camouflage,” “shadow disruption” and so on.
It is nothing new, and can easily be found in art history, especially in photography and in impressionist painting. But it seems that it wasn’t officially and commonly practiced until World War I. It’s use of course is now widepread.
Shown above is the cover of a special issue of Art News magazine (November 1-14, 1942), which included several articles on wartime uses of camouflage. The photograph on the cover is an optimal example of shadow disruption.
We’ve blogged about in the past, as in this post from 2016. And there is an interesting account of its use by Ellsworth Kelly (who was a wartime camoufleur) in E.C. Goossen’s book about his life and work.
