London likes to dress up for special occasions. In honor of the 2012 Summer Olympics, my First Friday is dedicated to some of the artistic endeavors inspired by the games. (I will not give praise to the disastrous 2012 logo and mascots only McDonald’s could love.)
Dress
Could the styles of uniforms for the athletes be any more vogue? Stella McCartney designed the stunning UK team’s Adidas gear, making me wish I biked for Britain. (Meanwhile, Ralph Lauren designed the clothes for the USA team… but they were made in China. Doh!)
Hat
Londoners love hats, so the Mayor dressed up a few of the city’s iconic statues with designer creations that play homage to the flag and even to SPAM (Spam, Eggs, Spam and Spam).
Olympic Park Art
Aside from the stadium which transformed the historically grubby east end of London, the Olympic Park is home to one-of-a-kind art installations commissioned for the park, including a giant mirrored display of the word RUN. See more in the official Art in the Park brochure.
Graffiti
London is among the best in the world for beautiful street art, and its graffiti artists have stepped it up for the Olympics, like this perfect placement high-jumper by Banksey. Sadly, the International Olympic Committee and the British Transport Police (BTP) have been fiercely removing graffiti they feel doesn’t fit the Olympic brand or is too close to the venues. Banskey’s work is fighting to stay.
See more in this photo gallery of Olympic inspired art installations in London.