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⢠Clarendon Fine Art is to host an exhibition of Olympic-inspired art as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad programme
⢠The BT Art of Sport exhibition will feature painting, sculpture and photography from 12 leading artists commissioned by London 2012 premier partner BT
⢠The exhibition will draw on the power of art to capture the mindset of the UK's Olympic and Paralympic athletes and convey the drama and passion of the historic sporting events
⢠Working closely with Team GB's elite sportsmen and women, the BT Art of Sport artists have created a body of work that will make a valuable contribution towards the artistic legacy of the London 2012 Olympics
Opening on Monday 25th June, the Clarendon Fine Art gallery in London is to host an exhibition of Olympic-inspired art produced by the BT Art of Sport project (www.btartofsport.com).
The mixed-media group show will feature sculpture, painting and photography from 12 leading UK artists that have been specially commissioned by the London 2012 premier partner BT as part of the forthcoming Cultural Olympiad programme. The participating artists represent some of the UK's most exciting artistic talent.
Working with Team GB's foremost Olympic and Paralympic athletes, the BT Art of Sport initiative will produce a body of work that will serve to re-tell the story of the London 2012 Olympics, capturing the dedication and commitment of these elite athletes and conveying the drama and passion of these historic sporting events.
Rachel Simkiss, Communications Director of Clarendon Fine Art, commented:
âClarendon Fine Art is delighted to host this fabulous exhibition celebrating the forthcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games here in the UK. With some of Britain's most exciting contemporary artists on board, notably Darren Baker whose portrait of the Queen brought him to prominence recently, this sportinspired tribute to the Olympic spirit promises to be one of the key events of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad.'
Ben Dearnley is a sculptor working in the traditional media of bronze and statuary marble. Sculpting the Olympians and Paralympians Mark Foster, Leon Taylor and Ade Adepitan MBE for his Modern Day Heroes series, Dearnley's classically-inspired work conveys the grace and power of the athletes, both honoring their commitment and celebrating their achievements.
The highly-skilled watercolours of Jeremy Houghton communicate the control and focus of his sporting subjects while former street artist Dylan Izaak's idiosyncratic view of undulating skylines, famous buildings and busy metropolitan scenes encourages us to look at the world around us with new eyes. His quirky London scenes offer a distinctive contemporary take on the host city; colourful and immediate they represent the optimistic and vibrant atmosphere of the Games.
Darren Baker's portrait of Her Majesty the Queen was unveiled to great acclaim by Princess Anne in Westminster Abbey recently, adding to an extraordinary body of portraiture. His celebrated oil paintings of prime ministers and royalty hang in collections from 10 Downing Street to St James's Palace. He has been official artist to the Professional Footballer's Association for many years and has worked extensively with the sporting elite including many Olympic and Paralympic medallists. His hyper-realistic images capture an expression or a moment with a unique sense of drama and extreme accuracy and have won him a host of awards.
Richard Booth, a photographic artist specializing in emotive imagery with a focus on people, passion and movement, has been commissioned to produce the official photographic story of the London 2012 Olympics.
Dominic Wheadon uses water to play with light, depth, colour, reflection and the distorted human form. Through BT Art of Sport, Dom is using the Olympic theme to explore his usual subjects in a new way. Lorne McKean, who was awarded the Silver Medal for Sculpture at the Royal Academy Schools, has recently completed a commission for BT ambassador and Olympic dressage gold medalist Lee Pearson and his horse Gentleman.
Teresa Witz's interest lies in the creation of contemporary iconic images of celebrity personalities. This led in turn to an interest in the portrayal of ordinary people as 'iconic unknowns', a description which, for the moment, could be applied to many of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls. Graphic artist PINS specialises in various creative media including airbrush design, graphic design and spray can art. As a sports enthusiast PINS sees art and sport as one and the same; they both require the same passion, dedication and persistence to succeed.
For the fifth consecutive Olympic Games Brian West has been commissioned by The Royal Yachting Association to paint a montage of The British Olympic & Paralympic Sailing Teams in action. A member of the British Society of Sculptors, Christine Charlesworth specializes in figurative sculpture and portraiture that captures the energy and natural movement of her subjects, whilst the large-scale sculptures of Michael Speller effectively convey the drama and spectacle of the Olympic endeavour.
