This critical examination into the role of avant-garde artists in the development of military technology encompasses events from both the first and second world wars. Canadian, American and European artists, notably Donald Cameron Mackay, Ellsworth Kelly and Grant Wood lent their talents to the military development of optical camouflage. During these conflicts, both naval and civilian ships were painted in strong geometric patterns and bold contrasting coloration so as to deceive those bent on attacking them. These patterns came to be called “Razzle Dazzle”. Although this artist was not himself involved, by 1916 German military referred to camouflage paint schemes as ‘Kadinskys”. Optical deception was subsequently taken up by a many young artists and an entire generation has directly or indirectly learned the lessons of camouflage. Whether to mislead the eye of a U-boat captain or to critically inquire into the very nature of painting, this unexpected genesis of geometric abstraction had a critical impact upon the development of modernist art. With work by Arthur Lismer, Jack Bush, Yves Gaucher, Jock MacDonaald, Guido Molinari and many others