Creative spirit of the Games: Olympics 2012 posters: Twelve posters commissioned to mark the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Monday 23rd July – Friday 7th September 2012
A number of posters for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, designed by some of the UK’s leading artists, including Bridget Riley, Tracey Emin, Martin Creed, Rachel Whiteread, and Bob and Roberta Smith have gone on display at The Arts University Bournemouth.
The posters have been designed to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.The six Olympic posters have been designed by Ofili, Martin Creed, Anthea Hamilton, Howard Hodgkin, Bridget Riley and Rachel Whiteread, while their Paralympic counterparts are the work of Tracey Emin, Fiona Banner, Michael Craig-Martin, Gary Hume, Sarah Morris, and AUB Honorary Fellow Bob and Roberta Smith.
The posters were unveiled at Tate Britain in London along with the programme for the London 2012 Festival. The original posters are on display in a free exhibition at Tate Britain, held as part of the London 2012 Cultural Festival until 23 September 2012.
Tate Director Sir Nicholas Serota said organisers were “delighted” the artist had produced “such compelling images”.
The first thing to notice about the posters is how abstract they are, and how they can relate to every Olympics, from 1896 to the present time.
The artists were given a brief which ‘encouraged them to celebrate the Games coming to London and to look at the values of the Olympic or Paralympic Games. The responses are just as varied representing the intertwining of sports and art worldwide.. The posters have such titles as ‘Big Ben 2012’ by Morris, ‘Swimming’ by Hodgkin, and ‘Superhuman Nude’ by Banner. The London 2012 posters are attempting to revive this ‘artistic tradition’ art inspired by the Olympics and Paralympics.
Posters (£7 each) can be purchased online: london2012.com/shop. Limited edition prints will also be for sale, email: London2012@countereditions.com for more details.
TheGallery and AUB works in partnership with WestBeach & the Print Room, Bournemouth.