The Unknown Runner
Poster
2012 (printed and published)
2012 (printed and published)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Chris Ofili creates paintings inspired by personal experience, race, folklore, biblical narrative and for the past few years, the island of Trinidad where he lives. In ‘For the Unknown Runner’ a figure somewhere between super-athlete and mythical being sprints past a watching crowd. The figure is framed by a classical vase motif – a reference to the links between sport and beauty that informed the Olympic Games of antiquity. Ofili’s image seems to reach back to the past but also look to the future of the Games.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Unknown Runner (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Colour offset lithograph |
| Brief description | 'The Unknown Runner' poster by Chris Ofili for London 2012 Olympic Games; UK, 2012 |
| Physical description | poster depicting a black line drawing of a muscular man running, framed by the outline of a vase |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | For the Unknown Runner |
| Credit line | Given by LOCOG and Counter Editions |
| Association | |
| Summary | Chris Ofili creates paintings inspired by personal experience, race, folklore, biblical narrative and for the past few years, the island of Trinidad where he lives. In ‘For the Unknown Runner’ a figure somewhere between super-athlete and mythical being sprints past a watching crowd. The figure is framed by a classical vase motif – a reference to the links between sport and beauty that informed the Olympic Games of antiquity. Ofili’s image seems to reach back to the past but also look to the future of the Games. |
| Bibliographic reference | Timmers, Margaret, A Century of Olympic Posters (V&A: 2008)
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.267-2012 |
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| Record created | November 26, 2013 |
| Record URL |
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