Thursday 12 July 2012

Olympic Posters: The Art & Spirit of Sport


 
 
Citius, Altius, Fortius
 
 

The Games of the XXIXth Olympiad ~ Beijing, 2008




The Olympic Movement gives the world an ideal which reckons with the reality of life, and includes a possibility to guide this reality toward the great Olympic Idea.” ~ Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937)
(French educator primarily responsible for the revival of the Olympic Games in 1896) 




The above two images are courtesy of: Taringa!





The official Olympic posters provide a visual history of the image of each edition of the Olympic Games. They act as witnesses to both the styles and values of their time as well as the social and political context of the era.


These posters, which span a century of Olympic history, draw on a specific vocabulary of symbols which can be divided into two main groups. The first includes figurative elements of significance for the host country such as public monuments, statues, flags, landscapes or cityscapes. The second puts more of an accent on graphic elements (e.g. poster of Mexico City 1968) or on the emblem of the Games (a design featuring the Olympic rings together with other distinctive elements). The most recent posters rely heavily on this form of communication and any text tends to be limited to the name of the host city and the year of the Games.




The Olympic rings themselves are usually what makes official posters immediately identifiable. Indeed, since 1928, the year they first appeared, the rings have been the overall unifying element on official posters.


The official Olympic posters show the evolution not only of the Games themselves but also of design and poster art from 1896 to today. They are an Olympic tradition, and serves to remind us of each edition of the Games. Windows on the past, they let the Games of yesterday live and breathe.(Quoted from: olympic.org)




The Ist & IInd Olympiads ~ Athens & Paris
Above left, the First Olympiad ~ 1896, Athens | Above right, the 1900 II Olympiad ~ Paris
Above left image, courtesy of: Fine Art America | Above right image, courtesy of: Ancient Olympics




The 1904 IIIrd Olympiad ~ St. Louis
Image courtesy of: IOC




The 1908 IVth Olympiad ~ London
Above left image, courtesy of: Rebecca Jenkins | Above right image, courtesy of: TripAdvisor




The 1912 Vth Olympiad ~ Stockholm
Image courtesy of: The Telegraph




The 1920 VIIth Olympiad ~ Antwerp
Image courtesy of: Setpoint





The 1924 VIIIth Olympiad ~ Paris
Above left image, courtesy of: Fine Art America | Above right image, courtesy of: Bestweekever.tv



The 1928 IXth Olympiad ~ Amsterdam
Above left image, courtesy of: listas.20minutos.es | Above right image, courtesy of: Sport | Webjunk



The 1932 Xth Olympiad ~ Los Angeles
Image courtesy of: ©iKs Baie


Great Moments In Time ~ 1932
Image courtesy of: Taringa!




The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.” ~ Pierre de Coubertin




The 1936 XIth Olympiad ~ Berlin
Above left image, courtesy of: http://forum.dpni.org
Above right image, courtesy of: The Occult History of the Third Reich



The 1940 XIIth Olympiad ~ Tokyo
(Canceled due to World War II)
The 1944 Games of the XIIIth Olympiad, which were scheduled to be held in London, England, were also cancelled due to World War II; they were eventually held there in 1948. (Source: olympic.org)
Image courtesy of: pink tentacle



The 1948 XIVth Olympiad ~ London
The above two images are courtesy of: Taringa!



The 1952 XVth Olympiad ~ Helsinki
Image courtesy of: explow


As with the original host city, Tokyo, Japan, the Helsinki 1940 XIIth Olympic Games were cancelled due to World War II The same poster was re-purposed for the 1952 XVth Olympiad when the host city, Helsinki, was once again granted the Games.
The two images above are courtesy of: Mirror




The Olympic Games are for the world and all nations must be admitted to them.”
~ Pierre de Coubertin




The 1956 XVIth Olympiad ~ Stockholm
Image courtesy of: Bestweekever.tv



The 1956 XVIth Olympiad ~ Melbourne
Above left image, courtesy of: The Telegraph | Above right image, courtesy of: Travel Posters Online



The 1960 XVIIth Olympiad ~ Rome
Image courtesy of: Sport | Webjunk




The Olympics remain the most compelling search for excellence that exists in sport, and maybe in life itself. ~ Dawn Fraser (Australian swimmer)




The 1964 XVIIIth Olympiad ~ Tokyo
Image courtesy of: The Telegraph


Above left image, courtesy of: i love retro | Above right image, courtesy of: Scratchdisk



The 1960 VIIIth Winter Olympiad ~ Squaw Valley
The above two images are courtesy of: Vintage European Posters


Above left, the 1968 Xth Winter Olympiad ~ Grenoble | Above right, the XIth Winter Olympiad ~ Sapporo
Above left image, courtesy of: Vintage European Posters | Above right image, courtesy of: Mirror



The 1968 XIXth Olympiad ~ Mexico City
Image courtesy of: DP Vintage Posters


Above left image, courtesy of: jackie travels | Above right image, courtesy of: Van Sabben Poster Auctions


Image courtesy of: V&A




An Olympic medal is the greatest achievement and honour that can be received by an athlete. I would swap any World Title to have won gold at the Olympics.”
~ Jeff Fenech (Australian boxer)




The 1972 XXth Olympiad ~ Munich

The above four images are courtesy of:  BBC News


The two images above are courtesy of: Mirror


Image courtesy of: Sport | Webjunk


 The above two images are courtesy of: Taringa!




The Olympics are a wonderful metaphor for world cooperation, the kind of international competition that's wholesome and healthy, an interplay between countries that represents the best in all of us.”
~ John Chester Williams (American archer & 1972 Gold Medalist)




The 1976 XXIst Olympiad ~ Montréal
Image courtesy of: designKULTUR


Above left image, courtesy of: ©iKs Baie | Above right image, courtesy of: Mirror


Above left image, courtesy of: 7410Z | Above right image, courtesy of: Canadian Games Themes




If you dream and you allow yourself to dream, you can do anything. And that's what this Olympic medal represents. ~ Clara Hughes
(Canadian & six-time Olympic medalist in cycling & speed skating; Hughes is the only athlete in history to win multiple medals in both Summer & Winter Games)




The 1980 XXIInd Olympiad ~ Moscow
Above left image,  courtesy of: art-assorty | Above right image, courtesy of: The Telegraph


Above left image, courtesy of: Mirror | Above right image, courtesy of: art-assorty


Above left image, courtesy of: art-assorty | Above right image, courtesy of: Barewalls


Image courtesy of: Sputnik




For athletes, the Olympics are the ultimate test of their worth. ~ Mary Lou Retton
(American gymnast & 1984 Olympic gold medalist)




The 1984 XXIIIrd Olympiad ~ Los Angeles

Top image, courtesy of: Mes timbres de Belgique | Bottom image, courtesy of: The Telegraph



The 1988 XXIVth Olympiad ~ Seoul
Image courtesy of: The Telegraph


Above left image, courtesy of: The Aesthetic Poetic | Above right image: mr magoos milk truck


Image courtesy of: Wikipedia




The Olympic spirit is neither the property of one race nor of one age.”
~ Pierre de Coubertin




The 1992 XXVth Olympiad ~ Barcelona
Above left image, courtesy of: list | Above right image, courtesy of: Mirror 


Above left image, courtesy of: The Small Folk | Above right image, courtesy of: V&A



The 1996 XXVIth Centennial Olympiad ~ Atlanta
Image courtesy of: The Telegraph




Champions aren´t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision.” ~ Muhammad Ali (American boxer & activist)




The 2000 XXVIIth Olympiad ~ Sydney
Image courtesy of: Sport | Webjunk



The 2004 XXVIIIth Olympiad ~ Athens
The two images above are courtesy of: Mirror



The 2008 XXIXth Olympiad ~ Beijing


Above left, 2008 Special Olympic Summer Games | Above right, 2010 Youth Olympics ~ Singapore
The above four images are courtesy of: Taringa!




One shouldn't be afraid to lose; this is sport. One day you win; another day you lose. Of course, everyone wants to be the best; this is normal; this is what sport is about; this is why I love it.” ~ Oksana Baiul
(Ukrainian figure skater & 1994 Winter Olympics gold medalist)




The 2010 XXIst Winter Olympiad ~ Vancouver
Image courtesy of: designKULTUR


Image courtesy of: list



 Above left, Biathlon | Above right, Ice Hockey


 Above left, Speed Skating | Above right, Figure Skating


 Above left, Snowboard - Snowboard Cross | Above right, Snowboard - Halfpipe


 Above left, Alpine Skiing | Above right, Freestyle Skiing - Aerials


 Above left, Freestyle Skiing - Ski Cross | Above right, Ski Jumping


 Above left, Cross-Country Skiing | Above right, Nordic Combined


 Above left, Luge | Above right, Bobsleigh


 Above left, Skeleton | Above right, Snowboard - Parallel Giant Slalom


 Above left, Curling | Above right, Short Track Speed Skating
The above twenty images are courtesy of: fotounik


Snowboard Cross
Image courtesy of: Market Wallpapers



The 2010 Winter Paralympic Games ~ Vancouver
Above left, Alpine Skiing | Above right, Ice Sledge Hockey


Biathlon


 Above left, Cross-Country Skiing | Above right, Wheelchair Curling
The above five images are courtesy of: fotounik




Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: the potential for greatness lives within each of us.”
~ Wilma Rudolph (1940-1994)
(First American woman runner to win three gold medals at a single Olympics)




The 2012 XXXth Olympiad ~ London
Image courtesy of: Mediator

 
Image courtesy of: Orangemilky


Above left image, courtesy of: Make a Splash | Above right image, courtesy of: Shelley Eccles


Above left, Divers by Anthea Hamilton | Above right, Swimming by Howard Hodgkin


 Above left, For The Unknown Runner by Chris Ofili | Above right, Work No. 1273 by Martin Creed
The above four images are courtesy of: LondonTown


2012 Comradeship by Ron Park
Image courtesy of: Stylesight


Above left, Colours by Signe Emma | Above right, London by Stefan Holland
(2012 London Olympics poster proposals)


Image courtesy of: Iran Tejarat


Kaleidoscope by Wolff Olins
Image courtesy of: Better Than You




The above three images are courtesy of: 200percentmag





The London 2012 Paralympic Games
Above left, Go by Michael Craig-Martin | Above right, Big Ben 2012 by Sarah Morris
The above two images are courtesy of: LondonTown




I didn't set out to beat the world; I just set out to do my absolute best.”
~ Al Oerter (1936-2007)
(American discus thrower & four-time consecutive Gold Medalist)




The 2016 XXXIst Olympiad ~ Rio de Janeiro
Image courtesy of: Festa Jukebox


Image courtesy of: Vie Graphique


Image courtesy of: Wallpapers Wide
The Games of the XXXIst Olympiad will be hosted by Rio de Janeiro




We all have dreams. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort.” ~ Jesse Owens (1913-1980)
(The first American track & field athlete to win four consecutive gold medals at a single Olympiad)





Above left & right, posters for Tokyo's bid for the 2016 Olympic Games
The two images above are courtesy of: Taringa!




Image courtesy of: Taringa!




The important thing in life is not victory but combat; it is not to have vanquished but to have fought well. ~ Pierre de Coubertin




Suggested readings:



Sport And Recreation In Ancient Greece: A Sourcebook with Translations (1987), by Waldo E. Sweet: Oxford University Press

The Original Olympics (1999), by Stewart Ross: Peter Bedrick Books

The Ancient Olympic Games (2000), by Judith Swaddling: University of Texas Press

The History of the Olympic Games: From The Antiquity To The Present Times (2000), by Constantine Sirracos: Seaburn Books

The Olympics: A History of the Modern Games (2002), by Allen Guttmann: University of Illinois Press

Sports In World History (2004), by David G. McComb: Psychology Press

A Brief History of the Olympic Games (2004), by David C. Young: John Wiley & Sons

The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Ancient Games (2004), by Tony Perrottet: Random House Digital, Inc.

The Ancient Olympics (2005), by Nigel Spivey: Oxford University Press

America's First Olympics: The St. Louis Games of 1904 (2005), by George R. Matthews: University of Missouri Press

Nazi Games: The Olympics Of 1936 (2007), by David Clay Large: W.W. Norton

Berlin Games: How The Nazis Stole The Olympic Dream (2007), by Guy Walters: HarperCollins

Sport In Ancient Times (2007), by Nigel B. Crowther: Greenwood Publishing Group

Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient World (2007), by Donald G. Kyle: John Wiley & Sons

Beijing's Games: What The Olympics Mean To China (2008), by Susan Brownell: Rowman & Littlefield

History of the Olympic Games (2008), by Melanie Guile: Pearson Education Australia

Olympic Cities: 2012 and the Remaking of London (2009), by Gavin Poynter & Iain MacRury: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.

Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed The World (2009), by David Maraniss: Simon and Schuster

The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics (2009), by David Wallechinsky, David Wallechinsky & Jaime Loucky: Greystone Books

The Olympian: An American Triumph (2010), by Craig T. Williams: iUniverse

Understanding The Olympics (2012), by John Horne & Garry Whannel: Routledge

Watching the Olympics: Politics, Power and Representation (2012), by John Sugden & Alan Tomlinson: CRC Press

Munich 1972: Tragedy, Terror, And Triumph At The Olympic Games (2012), by David Large: Rowman & Littlefield




3 comments:

  1. There is something in the quality of your poster that is poetic and free flowing. something that connects to the fair and lofty dreams each of us had.

    Hawaii Art

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Ms. Aiesha, thanks for your kind & complimentary comment. It's much appreciated.

      ₵. Ð.

      Delete
  2. My pleasure - thanks for enjoying & appreciating.

    ₵. Ð.

    ReplyDelete