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[43419] Herd of Sheffield : No 22 - Razzle Dazzle 'em, Lizzie
Herd of Sheffield, 2016.
58 elephant sculptures, each uniquely decorated by artists, have descended on Sheffield’s parks and open spaces, creating one of the biggest mass participation arts events the city has ever seen.
No 22 - Razzle Dazzle 'em, Lizzie.
Location : Millennium Gallery, Arundel Gate.
Artist : Robert Hurst.
Sponsor : North Creative Studio.
Robert Hurst’s monochrome elephant is a tribute to Lizzie as well as the British artist Norman Wilkinson, a Royal Navy volunteer during World War I. Concerned about the increasing numbers of Navy and Allied shipping lost to German U-boats, Wilkinson wondered how to disguise their appearance. He realised there was no real way to camouflage a ship well enough to conceal it from the sights of approaching submarine commanders but it might be possible to use complex, graphic patterns to confuse them during any attack. By covering ships in alternating stripes and swirls, Wilkinson theorised that it would be more difficult for periscope sighters to accurately gauge a ship’s speed and heading, making it more difficult to target in advance of triggering any missile. His proposal was termed ‘Dazzle camouflage’ and was widely used throughout the Royal Navy and later by the United States Navy. It was even applied on land, to tanks. Each ship was given a unique dazzle pattern to avoid classes of ships being instantly identifiable. Whilst there is little evidence to suggest that Wilkinson’s artistic efforts reduced any sinkings it was said that the bold, striking patterns helped to make British sailors feel more safe, confident and proud.
[43419] Herd of Sheffield : No 22 - Razzle Dazzle 'em, Lizzie
Herd of Sheffield, 2016.
58 elephant sculptures, each uniquely decorated by artists, have descended on Sheffield’s parks and open spaces, creating one of the biggest mass participation arts events the city has ever seen.
No 22 - Razzle Dazzle 'em, Lizzie.
Location : Millennium Gallery, Arundel Gate.
Artist : Robert Hurst.
Sponsor : North Creative Studio.
Robert Hurst’s monochrome elephant is a tribute to Lizzie as well as the British artist Norman Wilkinson, a Royal Navy volunteer during World War I. Concerned about the increasing numbers of Navy and Allied shipping lost to German U-boats, Wilkinson wondered how to disguise their appearance. He realised there was no real way to camouflage a ship well enough to conceal it from the sights of approaching submarine commanders but it might be possible to use complex, graphic patterns to confuse them during any attack. By covering ships in alternating stripes and swirls, Wilkinson theorised that it would be more difficult for periscope sighters to accurately gauge a ship’s speed and heading, making it more difficult to target in advance of triggering any missile. His proposal was termed ‘Dazzle camouflage’ and was widely used throughout the Royal Navy and later by the United States Navy. It was even applied on land, to tanks. Each ship was given a unique dazzle pattern to avoid classes of ships being instantly identifiable. Whilst there is little evidence to suggest that Wilkinson’s artistic efforts reduced any sinkings it was said that the bold, striking patterns helped to make British sailors feel more safe, confident and proud.