Roy Richard Behrens (; born 1946) is an American artist and academic who is an emeritus professor of art and distinguished scholar at the
University of Northern Iowa
The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) is a public university in Cedar Falls, Iowa. UNI offers more than 90 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities, Arts, and Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences and grad ...
. He is well known for his writings on
camouflage
Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the ...
in relation to
art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
,
design
A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design'' ...
and
creativity
Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something new and valuable is formed. The created item may be intangible (such as an idea, a scientific theory, a musical composition, or a joke) or a physical object (such as an invention, a printed literary w ...
as detailed in ''Camoupedia'' and additional books and essays on the subject.
Early life and education
Behrens was born in
Independence, Iowa
Independence is a city in, and the county seat of, Buchanan County, Iowa, United States. The population was 6,064 in the 2020 census, an increase from 6,014 in 2000.
History
Independence was founded in 1847 near the center of present-day Buch ...
. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in art education degree from the University of Northern Iowa in 1968 and a Master of Arts in art education from the
Rhode Island School of Design
The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD , pronounced "Riz-D") is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase the ...
in 1972.
Career
Behrens served in the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
1969 to 1971, rising to the rank of sergeant.
He taught graphic design, illustration, and design history at the University of Northern Iowa, the
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a public urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and a member of the University of Wiscons ...
, the
Art Academy of Cincinnati
The Art Academy of Cincinnati is a private college of art and design in Cincinnati, Ohio, accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. It was founded as the McMicken School of Design in 1869, and was a department of the U ...
.
He has written several books and numerous papers. For twenty years, beginning in 1985, he published a quarterly magazine called ''Ballast Quarterly Review'' (the title is an acronym for Books Art Language Logic Ambiguity Science and Teaching), self-described as a "periodical
commonplace book
Commonplace books (or commonplaces) are a way to compile knowledge, usually by writing information into books. They have been kept from antiquity, and were kept particularly during the Renaissance and in the nineteenth century. Such books are simi ...
."
Over the years, he has written numerous articles for
''Leonardo'' and various books and journals.
He is the author of ''Camoupedia'', a book and blog on
camouflage
Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the ...
. The camouflage researcher Isla Forsyth describes this work as an "extensive study into modern military camouflage..by the British and US military throughout the First and Second World Wars, exploring the contribution of art and science, and the ways in which, via modern and contemporary art, camouflage has been appropriated by contemporary culture". Mike Leggett, reviewing the book in ''Leonardo'', wrote that "the outcome of enthusiastic research it is, but an entertaining summary of the field it also manages to be."
Michael Martone calls Behrens "a wonderful writer and artist ... whose work on camouflage and art is important to me. He publishes an amazing 'zine called ''Ballast'' on visual and verbal punning."
Personal life
Behrens is married to the artist Mary Snyder Behrens,
with whom he is founder and co-proprietor of Bobolink Books.
[
]
Works
Books
* (1977) (with Jerome Klinkowitz) ''The life of fiction''. University of Illinois Press. .
* (1981) ''Art & camouflage: Concealment and deception in nature, art and war''. North American Review / University of Northern Iowa. .
* (1984) ''Design in the visual arts''. Prentice-Hall. .
* (1986) ''Illustration as an art.'' Prentice-Hall. .
* (2002) ''False colors: Art, design and modern camouflage''. Bobolink Books. .
* (2005) ''Cook book: Gertrude Stein, William Cook and Le Corbusier''. Bobolink Books. .
* (2009) ''Camoupedia: A compendium of research on art, architecture, and camouflage''. Bobolink Books. .
* (2012) ''Ship shape: a dazzle camouflage sourcebook''. Bobolink Books. .
* (2016) ''Frank Lloyd Wright and Mason City: Architectural heart of the prairie''. History Press. .
Selected essays
* (1987) “The life and unusual ideas of Adelbert Ames Jr.” ''Leonardo'' (MIT Press). Vol 20 No 3, pp. 273–279.
* (1988) “The theories of Abbott H. Thayer: father of camouflage” ''Leonardo'' (MIT Press). Vol 21 No 3, pp. 291–296.
* (1994) “Adelbert Ames and the cockeyed room” ''Print'' (New York). Vol 48 No 2 (March / April), pp. 92–97.
* (1997) “The gift of gabberjabbs” ''Print'' (New York). Vol 51 No 1, pp. 64–72
Full text online
* (1998) “The artistic and scientific collaboration of Blanche Ames Ames and Adelbert Ames II” ''Leonardo'' (MIT Press). Vol 31 No 1, pp. 47–54.
* (1998) “On Max Wertheimer and Pablo Picasso: gestalt theory, cubism and camouflage” ''Gestalt Theory: Journal of the GTA'' (Vienna). Vol 20 No 2, pp. 109–118
* (1998) “Rudolf Arnheim: The little owl on the shoulder of Athene” ''Leonardo'' (MIT Press). Vol 31 No 3, pp. 231–233.
* (1998) “Art, design and gestalt theory”” ''Leonardo'' (MIT Press). Vol 31 No 4, pp. 299-303.
* (1999) “Adelbert Ames, Fritz Heider and the Ames chair demonstration” ''Gestalt Theory: Journal of the GTA'' (Vienna). Vol 21 No 3.
* (1999) “The role of artists in ship camouflage during World War I” ''Leonardo'' (MIT Press). Vol 32 No 4, pp. 53–59.
* (2000) “Revisiting Gottschaldt: embedded figures in art, architecture and design” ''Gestalt Theory: Journal of the GTA'' (Vienna). Vol 22 No 2, pp. 97–106
* (2002) “How form functions: on esthetics and gestalt theory” ''Gestalt Theory: Journal of the GTA'' (Vienna). Vol 24 No 4, pp. 317–325
* (2005) “Architecture, art and camouflage” ''Lotus International'' (Italy). Issue 126, pp. 74–83.
* (2010) “Ames demonstrations in perception” in E. Bruce Goldstein, ed., Encyclopedia of perception. Vol 1. Sage Publications, pp. 41–44. .
* (2010) “Camouflage” in E. Bruce Goldstein, ed., Encyclopedia of perception. Vol 1. Sage Publications, pp. 233–236. .
* (2011) “Nature’s artistry: Abbott H. Thayer’s assertions about camouflage in art, war and zoology” in Martin Stevens and Sami Merilaita, eds., ''Animal camouflage: Mechanisms and function''. Oxford University Press. .
* (2013) “Now you see it, now you don’t: camoufleurs, conjurers and pickpockets” in H. Rothstein and B. Whaley, eds. ''The art and science of military deception''. Artech House. pp. 217–237. .
* (2013) “Art, design and brain research: non-scientific thoughts about neuroesthetics” in ''Gestalt Theory: Journal of the GTA'' (Vienna) Vol 35 No 2 pp. 169–182.
* (2014) “Abbott H. Thayer’s vanishing ducks: surveillance, art and camouflage” in ''MAS Context'' (Chicago) 22, pp. 164–177
Full text online
* (2015) “Khaki to khaki (dust to dust): the ubiquity of camouflage in human experience” in Ann Elias et al., eds., ''Camouflage cultures: beyond the art of disappearance''. Sydney University Press. .
* (2016) “Setting the stage for deception: perspective distortion in World War I camouflage” ''Aisthesis: Pratiche, linguaggi e saperi dell’estetico'' (Firenze, Italy)
Full text online
* (2017) “Camouflage” in Viction Workshop, ''Camo mania: New disruptive patterns in design''. Victionary, pp. 209–222. .
* (2018) “Seeing through camouflage: Abbott Thayer, background-picturing and the use of cut-out silhouettes” ''Leonardo'' (MIT Press). Vol 51 No 1, pp. 41–46.
* (2018) “Chicanery and conspicuousness: social repercussions of World War I camouflage” ''UNIversitas'' (University of Northern Iowa) Vol 13
* (2018) "Under the big top at Sims' circus: ship camouflage behind the scenes in World War I" Bobolink Book
* (2018) "Disruption versus dazzle: prevalent misunderstandings about World War I ship camouflage" Bobolink Book
* (2019) "Optical science meets visual art: the camouflage experiments of William Andrew Mackay." Bobolink Book
* (2019) "Ship shapes" in ''Patek Philippe: The International Magazine.'' (Geneva, Switzerland) Vol 4 No 7, pp. 10–15.
* (2020) "Simpatico on the patio: emphatic art, mimicry, and camouflage" in Susanne Bürner, ed., ''Mimicry-Empathy''. Berlin, Germany: Monroe Books, pp. 158-17
Full text online
* (2020) "Bewilderness: James Joyce and the National Parks" Bobolink Book
Full text online
* (2020) "Mason City’s prairie gems—and how Australians found them" in ''The Iowa Source''. Jul
Full text online
* (2020) "Buffalo Bill in Iowa: tales of a western folk hero—and his doppelganger" in ''The Iowa Source''. Augus
Full text online
* (2020) "Honoring Navajo traditions: chronicles of an immersive education in New Mexico" in ''The Iowa Source'', Novembe
Full text online
* (2020) "Nature Boy: the enchanted life of Eden Ahbez" in ''The Iowa Source''. Decembe
Full text online
* (2021) "The Corn Parade: Orr Fisher’s wacky WPA mural" in ''The Iowa Source''. Januar
Full text online
* (2021) "The camoufleur: Carol Sax, Ottumwa’s dazzling designer" in ''The Iowa Source''. Februar
Full text online
* (2021) "Old Fort Atkinson: My family’s brief occupation of an army outpost" in ''The Iowa Source''. Jun
Full text online
* (2021) "Tea and frankfurters: the story of Gertrude Kasëbier’s Portraits of the Lakota Sioux" in ''The Iowa Source''. Jul
Full text online
* (2021) "The Hubbards of Roycroft: an arts and crafts community with Iowa ties" in ''The Iowa Source'' (Fairfield IA), Augus
Full text online
* (2021) "Artist Clemens Gretter: Robert Ripley’s ghost" in ''The Iowa Source''. Octobe
Full text online
* (2021) "A Tale of Twain Wives: Mark Twain, Albert Paine, and klecksography" in ''The Iowa Source''. Decembe
Full text online
* (2021) "Pandemic Images and Gestalt Theory: introspective musings about a series of digital artworks" in ''Gestalt Theory''. Volume 43 Number
Full text online
* (2022) "Oscar Wilde, Whiskey, and the Peacock Room" in ''The Iowa Source''. Januar
Full text online
* (2022) "Gertrude Stein: the author’s fondness for her Iowa friends" in ''The Iowa Source''. Februar
Full text online
* (2022) "Allen Ginsberg in Cedar Falls: beatniks, socialists, and 'all that hair'" in ''The Iowa Source''. Marc
Full text online
* (2022) "Paintings in Sand: the meticulous work of Andrew Clemens" in ''The Iowa Source''. Jun
Full text online
Online films
* (2021) ''Nature, Art, and Camouflage'' Bobolink Book
Full online access
* (2021) ''Art, Women's Rights, and Camouflage'' Bobolink Book
Full online access
* (2021) ''Embedded Figures, Art, and Camouflage'' Bobolink Book
Full online access
* (2021) ''Art, Gestalt, and Camouflage'' Bobolink Book
Full online access
* (2022) ''Dazzle Camouflage: what is it and how did it work?'' Intervie
Full online access
* (2022) ''Cook: the man who taught Gertrude Stein how to drive'' Bobolink Book
Full online access
* (2022) ''Solving Problems in Design'' Bobolink Book
Full online access
* (2022) ''Dreams of Fields: Salvador Dali’s encounter with corn'' Bobolink Book
Full online access
* (2022) ''Bauhaus, Gestalt Theory, and Problem-Solving: thinking outside the box'' Bobolink Book
Full online access
* (2022) ''Ames and Anamorphosis: the man who made distorted rooms (Part One)'' Bobolink Book
Full online access
* (2022) ''Ames and Anamorphosis: the man who made distorted rooms (Part Two)'' Bobolink Book
Full online access
* (2022) ''Ames and Anamorphosis: the man who made distorted rooms (Part Three)'' Bobolink Book
Full online access
* (2022) ''On Saying Something and Saying It Well: a talk by poet Joseph Langland'' Bobolink Book
Full online access
* (2022) ''How to Win Kings and Influence Cabbages: the process by which creativity works'' Bobolink Book
Full online access
Selected exhibitions
* (2001) ''Modern Design Icons: 20th century graphic, industrial, and architectural design'' at Gallery of Art, University of Northern Iowa (Cedar Falls IA). August 27 through September 21
* (2010) ''Seagoing Easter Eggs: artists' contributions to dazzle ship camouflage'' at Convergys Gallery, Art Academy of Cincinnati (Cincinnati OH). January 15 through February 12
* (2017-18) ''Razzle Dazzle: World War I ship camouflage'' at Dubuque Museum of Art (Dubuque IA). November 3 through February
* (2017-18) ''Hidden Figures: the role of American women in World War I camouflage'' at Betty Strong Encounter Center / Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center (Sioux City IA). November 12 through June
* (2018) ''Assembly: the work of dazzle camouflage'' at Hearst Center for the Arts (Cedar Falls IA). October 5 through November 25
* (2018) ''Animal Forms and Patterns'' at Hartman Reserve Nature Center (Cedar Falls IA). November through Decembe
* (2019) ''National Parks and Monuments Posters'' at Hartman Reserve Nature Center (Cedar Falls IA). March through Apri
* (2019) ''Hartman Nature Posters: Part One'' at Hartman Reserve Nature Center (Cedar Falls IA). May through Jun
* (2019) ''Hartman Nature Posters: Part Two'' at Hartman Reserve Nature Center (Cedar Falls IA). July through Augus
* (2019) ''Hartman Nature Posters: Part Three'' at Hartman Reserve Nature Center (Cedar Falls IA). September through Octobe
* (2019) ''Hartman Nature Posters: Part Four'' at Hartman Reserve Nature Center (Cedar Falls IA). November through Decembe
* (2022) ''Pandemic Montages: a series of digital stories'' at Hearst Center for the Arts (Cedar Falls IA). January 6 through February 2
Online link
* (2022) ''Evolving Graphic Design Exhibition'' at University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison WI). May 24 through June 24
* (2022) ''National Parks and Monuments Posters'' at Jester Park Nature Center (Granger IA). May 1 through August 28
Notes
References
External links
Homepage
Research Profile
99% Invisible radio interview
Camouflage research blog
The Poetry of Sight blog
Roy R. Behrens Pandemic Montages
{{DEFAULTSORT:Behrens, Roy
1946 births
Living people
American artists