The artists who outwitted the Nazis
In the two World Wars, painters were deployed to create optical
illusions. Matthew Wilson explores how a camouflage unit and a 'Ghost
Army' used misdirection in deception operations that helped lead the
Allies to victory.
When
we think about artists working in wartime, we tend to imagine official
war artists or the creators of propaganda. But what if artists, like the
codebreakers of Bletchley Park, have been among the unsung heroes in
the war effort – and crucial participants at the business end of
conflict?
In the 20th Century, the epoch of "total war", everyone had to play
their part: men and women; professional soldiers and civilians; people
from all walks of life. The role that artists, art historians,
archaeologists and other arts professionals played in the century's
conflicts is yet to be fully told.
But the story of two military units from World War Two and their
inspiration from artists working in World War One gives us a glimpse of
how artists could become key players in warfare in the modern world. For
the first time, they reframed the combat zone as an arena of creative
strategy, making a literal "theatre" of war.
Long reading with photos . Link
