Special FX features works that explore pattern, optical illusion, and the art of dazzlement. Beginning in March 2019, this exhibition will travel to schools and events throughout the region onboard the VanGo! Museum on Wheels.

During WW1, a team of artists and military strategists conceived of a new way to camouflage naval vessels, known as Dazzle Camouflage. Instead of blending in like typical camouflage, Dazzle Camouflage overwhelmed enemies with overlapping patterns, contrasting colors and optical illusions. German U-Boat operators had difficulty identifying the type of naval vessel they were targeting and its course of movement.

At present, dazzle camouflage remains an influential aesthetic in art and design. Though no longer weaponized, the physical sensation of dazzlement can be pleasurable, unnerving, and even a tad painful. The artists included in this exhibition similarly harness a combination of pattern and optical illusion in their work. As they both create and destroy systems of form and color, our eyes as viewers become overwhelmed, or dazzled.