False Colors: Art, Design and Modern Camouflage

by Roy R. Behrens

An engaging and often amusing account of the little known use of artists, designers, and architects as army, navy, and civilian camouflage experts (called "camoufleurs") during World Wars I and II. Described and illustrated are documented attempts--some ingenious, others bizarre--at "fooling the eye" by such prominent artists (from France, England, the US, and Germany) as Abbott H. Thayer, Jean-Louis Forain, Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac, Jacques Villon, Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton, Norman Wilkinson, Everett Warner, Sherry Fry, Barry Faulkner, Homer Saint-Gaudens, John Singer Sargent, Frederic Waugh, Edward Seago, Blair Hughes-Stanton, Charles Burchfield, Oskar Schlemmer, Franz Marc, Edward Wadsworth, William Stanley Hayter, Roland Penrose, Julian Trevelyan, Eric Sloane, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Gyorgy Kepes, Jon Gnagy, Arshile Gorky, Victor Papenek, and Ellsworth Kelly. Illustrated by 120 vintage photographs, diagrams, and artworks, the text explains how the strategies used to conceal objects in nature and warfare are based on the very same "unit-forming factors" that artists, designers, and architects use every day in the creation of paintings, prints, fonts, logos, page layouts, web sites, furniture, buildings, and so on. Throughout the book, the author makes shrewd observations about the connections of art, design, and camouflage to such seemingly wide-ranging topics as Gestalt psychology, esthetics, Cubism, Dada, Surrealism, psychoanalysis, kindergarten, creativity, the Bauhaus, Frank Lloyd Wright, humor, dream analysis, Rockwell Kent, poetry, pickpockets, and sleight of hand. Of additional interest are a camouflage timeline, an account of the etymology of the word camouflage, and a 10-page bibliography, the largest ever compiled on the subject of art and camouflage.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2002

Reviews

[Ray Doeksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book about art and camouflage out there.

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

solid

[Andrew Herbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this a few years ago, and finally got around to reading it.
The last chapter could be read first, because Behrens describes some of his personal and professional history and how his interests tie in to his scholarship and teaching. As a designer, artist and historian he combines all of these in the book. This is an update of some work published years ago, according to the author, and I think his 2009 book is a further update.

If you're looking for a book on one topic, you're in trouble.This is not just a history of camouflage, an art history, or a design principles book. The various chapters cover topics that revolve around early 20th century camouflage, from the genesis of the term, to the use and design of dazzle camouflage on ships in the two world wars, to the relations between different schools of art and the development of camouflage. The parallel histories of camoufleurs working in the Great War is very interesting. Behrens does an excellent job of linking military and art history with psychology. His main perceptual influences are the Gestalt psychologists, and this book is in one sense a tribute to the effectiveness of the Gestalt rules for devising camouflage schemes.

One failing is that there is little discussion of the outcome of the use of the various forms of camouflage. Dazzle camouflage fell in and out of favour in the Great War, WW2 and beyond. We see little evidence of it now. The effectiveness (or lack thereof) is touched on by Behrens, but not critically examined. Canpat, Marpat and other digital versions of camouflage are never mentioned. Nor are other developments beyond WW2. The term 'modern' may mislead; here I think it refers here to ideas up to the early 20th century. Perhaps this reflects the lack of art and design in current camouflage? I don't believe the book is meant as an 'objective' history of camouflage, so the failing doesn't change my overall rating. This book is one attempt to examine the intersection of art, design and camouflage, as we see from the title.

This book also demonstrates extremely effective use of quotes, exerpts and illustrations. They must be considered with the prose. This book is one that requires the reader to assemble the parts, and the whole is certainly worth that effort. No surprise, given the Gestalt approach!

Those with an interest in art, design and perceptual psychology should find this a very worthwhile read.