What is it about?
Abbott H. Thayer (1849-1921), an American artist and naturalist (called "the father of camouflage") believed that the colors and patterns on animals were optical abstract summations of the colors and patterns in its typical environment. As a result, he reasoned, when looking at an animal in the wild, the effect is more or less the same as if the animal were transparent. In Adobe Photoshop, using various options called "content aware," we can simulate what he described.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
It provides a clear understanding of Thayer's beliefs about animal camouflage (techniques now also commonly used in military camouflage). It suggests an uncanny relation between animal coloration and current functions of image-based digital software. It may be a valuable insight into the future understanding and development of camouflage, as well as in future expansions of graphic software functions.
Perspectives
For me, it was another small advance in my long-term study of human vision in relation to art, graphic design and daily experience. Hopefully, others will benefit from these ideas and carry them further to other results.
Roy R. Behrens
University of Northern Iowa
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Seeing through Camouflage: Abbott Thayer, Background-Picturing and the Use of Cut-Out Silhouettes, Leonardo, August 2016, The MIT Press,
DOI: 10.1162/leon_a_01337.
You can read the full text:
Resources
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
