• Jacob Boylan Document, 2020 Silicon & acrylic on plywood 59h x 69w cm JB004
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Dazzle

Dazzle

 

Falls Festival
Byron Bay NSW Australia
December 30 2019 - January 1 2020

 

A 70-metre Dazzle Camouflage wall painting conceals cows, a car, a caravan, a bus, and a kissing booth. A Temporary Autonomous Zone, a climbing gym for adults, a pasture for selfies and group photos.

This work references World War I battlefield technology, optical art, psychedelic art, and the role of artists in wartime. Dazzle camouflage became obsolete with advances in radar and electronics.

The vibrant colours and patterns from wartime dazzle artists, many of whom were Dada and Surrealists, are an ongoing inspiration. Their extravagant commissions led to increasingly complex and optical illusions on large 3D objects, such as battleships.

Dazzle camouflage stands out to hide in plain sight, being effective only when targeting depends on the human eye and basic calculations. It confuses the aim controller, leading to potential miscalculations in targeting.

The cows, designed by nature, pose a challenge in a dazzling environment where hard-edged geometric colours are applied.

Festivalgoers get all over the cows, climbing, riding, and rearranging them. The cows roam all over the festival site, and take a beating, with only ten of the original 35 cows remaining after three days.

Artist: Amac
Year: 2020
Mode: Temporary Autonomous Zone
Location: Falls Festival Byron Bay NSW
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  • Jacob Boylan Document, 2020 Silicon & acrylic on plywood 59h x 69w cm JB004
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