Vancouver unveils medals ... jury still out on design
"The medals, revealed today, each feature a different crop of larger contemporary Aboriginal artworks and are undulating rather than flat -- both firsts in Games history. The dramatic form of the Vancouver 2010 medals is inspired by the ocean waves, drifting snow and mountainous landscape found in the Games region and throughout Canada. The Olympic medals are circular in shape, while the Paralympic medals are a superellipse, or squared circle."
A couple of random thoughts. Whenever you can get the word undulating in a release, it's impressive. Let's put it this way ... that word doesn't make its way into NBA copy very often. And if it did, a phone call from an editor would probably follow.
After a morning of looking at images of the medals, and two cups of coffee later, I am still not sure whether I like the look. But the viewpoint of a junior high art-class laggard hardly matters and, quite frankly, no athlete is going to quibble with the quality of appearance of a gold medal.
Colleague Ron Judd, columnist at the Seattle Times, summed it up quite nicely on his Twitter feed this morning: "Vancouver 2010 medals display traditional native 45-RPM-record-left-on-dashboard-in-sun design."
He probably got all A's in art class.
-- Lisa Dillman
Photo: 2010 Olympic medals. Credit: Jonathan Hayward / Associated Press
The design of the medals will grow on people. From a 'straight on' camera shot they will look fine. Hopefully, most medal recipients will be right-handed, thus will cusp the medal egonmically. Sadly, the 'lefty's' of the world will not.
Regardless, great design.
Posted by: Marc | October 16, 2009 at 02:44 AM
Thats like changing a National Anthem...DON'T DO IT!
Who the hecks in charge over there anyways?
Slap em! :)
Posted by: Glen Persson | October 16, 2009 at 11:47 AM
As a proud Canadian....*groan*....not 'only' are these medals ugly (and i had previously thought that the Olympic outfits were very pukish),..the Olympic organizers must have dealt out magic mushrooms....i can now only imagine what the athletes will think in reference to the upcoming games.
Posted by: John O'Beirne | October 16, 2009 at 01:33 PM
Lisa,
Really what is all this fuss about the Vancouver 2010 Olympic medals. Finally a design that is aboriginal, contemporary, indicative of the waves and mountains of our beautiful coastal British Columbia and COOL! Yes, someone could have designed a boring disc with an image but really... it would be just another medal. First Nation Artists of coastal British Columbia are world renowned for their simple, graceful art and much sought after. As for a 45 left out in a car to melt, Rod Judd very much needs to get out and see more art and become more cultured. In addition you and Rod should read the description of what the medal design is supposed to be portraying.
I think that all of the athletes will find their medals very leading edge and hip.
Kevin Harney, Vancouver Artist www.kevinharney.com
Posted by: Kevin Harney | October 16, 2009 at 05:35 PM