Liverpool Biennial, Tate Liverpool and 14-18 NOW jointly commissioned Carlos Cruz-Diez to work with the idea of ‘dazzle’ camouflage in partnership with National Museums Liverpool using a historic pilot ship owned and conserved by Merseyside Maritime Museum. The Edmund Gardner is situated in a dry dock adjacent to Liverpool’s Albert Dock and has become a new public monument for the city.
Carlos Cruz-Diez is one of the great figures of contemporary art, famous for his use of light, colour and movement in kinetic and optical art. Born in Venezuela but a long-time resident of Paris where he taught at the prestigious École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, his works can be found in the permanent collections of Museum of Modern Art, New York; Tate Modern, London and Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.
The dazzle style in which the Edmund Gardner is painted took its inspiration from the famous glaring colours and jagged lines of the ‘dazzle’ camouflage, designed to confuse enemy U-boat captains. The geometrically patterned boats would have been a familiar sight during the First World War, when hundreds of shipping convoys sailed to and from Britain’s ports.
LOCATION
Edmund Gardner
A dry dock
Albert Dock
Liverpool L3 4AF
For the best views of the ship go the Canning Graving Dock, opposite the Museum of Liverpool.
EVENTS
See behind the scenes on the ship from the engine room to the wheelhouse with a free guided tour. For more information and booking details go to: http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/exhibitions/dazzle-ship/index.aspx
