Century of Olympic Posters Gets London in Games Mood

An exhibit of Olympic posters over the past century opened in London's Canary Wharf on Monday showcasing how artistic trends and politics have changed over the last 100 years.

Posters have been a prime means of communication for the modern Olympic Games, designed to herald the event and build up excitement for the sporting spectacle.

They are a visual document of sport and art, politics and place. 

[Hamish McDougall, Spokesman, Canary Wharf Group]:

"What you can see here at Canary Wharf is a hundred year display of Olympic posters which act as a window into people's cultural beliefs and into attitudes, and to how art has evolved over that time. There are some really fascinating examples going back to the 1920's and 1930's of different political attitudes to diversity to nationalism, which speak a story about history. Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, artists of this calibre are being used to produce these things and ideally they are telling a simple message but telling it in an artistic way and sometimes quite a subtle and sophisticated way."

The posters from the early part of the 20th century are very traditional, with themes of empire and harking back to images of ancient Greece.

The 1960's, 70's and 80's are reflective of changing artistic trends and the 1990's and later highlight themes of diversity, regeneration and commerce.

The London 2012 official Olympic posters were unveiled late last year, showcasing the modern art of Britain's current artists, such as Tracy Emin and Rachel Whiteread, who used splodges resembling coffee cups in the colors of the Olympic rings.