Olympic Posters: the Final Push to the Podium

SHAPERO Modern NOW OPEN until the end of August As the final events of the Paris Olympic Games unfold, the world watches in awe to see which athletes will make history and which nation will finish top of the medal table. This final push demonstrates years of dedication and perseverance by the athletes, driven by the desire to break records and to inspire a younger generation to set new ones. Join us in commemorating not just this year’s Olympics in Paris, but all the historic Games that have come before. Jacob Lawrence, Olympische Spiele München 1972, 1971 Richard Smith, Olympische Spiele München 1972, 1971 Jacob Lawrence’s distinctive style is used to portray five runners in mid-stride, their bodies are contorted, and their faces grimace in concentration as they cross the finish line. Lawrence’s work often draws on the collective experience of African Americans, aiming to reclaim past narratives and highlight forgotten histories; in this particular print he pays homage to Jesse Owens who challenged stereotypes and won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Germany. The print reminds us not only of the power and dedication that goes into the Olympics but also the thrill of victory and the timeless beauty of this historic competition. Smith’s dynamic composition of bold colours and sharp shapes portrays the podium, symbolising the aspiration of all Olympic athletes.  Peter Phillips, Olympische Spiele München 1972, 1971 As this year’s Olympics draws to a close, the race for the top spot on the medal table intensifies, with several nations vying for the top spot. In Peter Phillip’s print, we see a spectrum of emotions, victory, loss, and patriotism, memorialising a specific time, culture and place, via the ‘72’ on the figure’s shirt. This reflects the sentiment that the 1972 Olympics wasn’t just about individual glory, but that found in the coming together of so many people from across the glove, turning the sporting events into a celebration of culture and unity.  Allen Jones, Olympische Spiele München 1972, 1970 Allen Jones’ print simultaneously extends his subversive artistic style whilst underscoring the theme of unity in the Games. The two competing legs depicted in his print come together beneath the Olympic rings, and reference the rivalry between the Dassler brothers, the German founders of the famous sporting brands Adidas and Puma, whose iconic styles are shown on the shoes.  Tom Wesselmann, Olympische Spiele München 1972, 1970 Here, American artist Tom Wesselmann elevates an everyday image of a foot into a striking Pop Art symbol of the Olympic Games. The foot, a key part of the human body, is used to carry many athletes to victory – a fact that transcends race, gender and age. Join us at our Maddox Street gallery, for this celebration of art and sport in our current selling exhibition, on view until the end of August.  CONTACT SHAPERO MODERN

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Federica Marconi

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