The Olympism spirit
Revisited in the 20th century by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the modern Olympic Games differ from other sporting events in their universality and this desire to break racial and/or political issues.
14 days of competition, human and deeply universal values are conveyed by sport, values such as respect, team spirit, self-sacrifice or improvement, override victory. This idea was the starting point of this universal painting.
“The most important thing in life is not triumph, but combat.
The main thing is not to have won, but to have fought well.”
Baron Pierre de Coubertin
Winter Olympics, the artwork
To represente Olympic rings and their colours symbolizing our 5 continents were an evidence. I explored and researched a dynamic composition around these 5 rings as a design basis. Beyond the Olympic rings, I wanted to represent universality in a more allegorical way by integrating the same 5 colors (blue/black/red/yellow/green) on each of my characters. It’s a symbol of unity and tolerance by sport.
Preparatory drawings
This part is essential to understand and to enhance a subject. Capturing a movement in what it has of most engaged, codes and attitudes of these 5 different sports was a interesting challenge. My specifications for this artwork : Harmony, strenght and dynamism.
Example of preparatory work done for the painting – Winter Olympics
and next ……
If the original work carries the Olympism values, immortalized french team’ most outstanding individual and collective performance seemed obvious to me.
With my pen and brushes, I made ink artworks for any of the 5 french gold medals. Congratulations to Perrine Laffont, a young freestyle skier for her amazing win, to Pierre Vaultier for his 2nd gold medal after Sochi and triple congratulations to Martin Fourcade, biathele and our flag-bearer for his victory in pursuit, mass star and mixed relay with his teammate Marie Dorin, Anaïs Bescond, Simon Desthieux. He is now the most successful French athlete at the Olympics and a biathlon legend.
Paintings to celebrate French wins at the Pyenongchang Olympics – 2018
Translated from french