A blog from back 2012 & the gold medals
Back on 2012 I had a small blog were I wrote around the topic of design. That space is no longer active. Still, I saved the entrees in a hard drive. Today, 9 years later I found one of the entries and it was about the Olympics!
It occurred to me that it was appropriate to revise the text and republish it. Since we are in full Olympics and and history has shine light into my country once again.
The first gold medal Puerto Rico has ever won came in just five years ago at Rio 2016 by tennis player, Mónica Puig. To say the least it was overwhelmingly exciting. This past Sunday, Puerto Rico won its second gold medal in history in 100 meters hurdles by Jasmine Camacho-Quinn. Again, overwhelmingly exciting.
At the award ceremony, Camacho-Quinn wore a Flor de Maga's flower in her hair. The national flower of Puerto Rico.
I love visual elements, their meaning and effects; and this event was not the exception. But more of that topic later.
In this post I want to focus on the Olympics logo. Which is one of the most iconic visual element of the world.
The Olympic logo
It was a French aristocrat, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who designed the emblematic rings logo. Coubertin is recognized as the founder of the modern Olympics. He was an educator, historian, the founder of the International Olympic Committee and, well, a designer. After all, his concept survived more than 100 years.
The logo was presented at the 20th anniversary of the legendary games in 1914. Pierre de Coubertin described it as being “truly an international emblem” and that the linked rings symbolized the “unity of humankind.” He said the logo represented “the five continents united by Olympism and the colors of all nations."
The vesica piscis
The inspiration came to Coubertin from the logo of a French sports governing body he was in charge. It portrayed two intersected circles also known as vesica piscis.
Vesica piscis is the intersection of two circles of the same radius and the center of each circle lies on the circumference of the other. It is found in many sacred art.
The Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung ideas about rings been “the continuity and the human being” might have also inspired Coubertin.
The celebration of unity
Going back to the logo, each ring represents the five original continents. Blue stands for Europe, Yellow for Asia, Black for Africa, Green for Oceania, and Red for the Americas.
Also, we can find these five colors in almost all world flags. Which makes it perfect for the worldwide event!
An event that helps the world come together in celebration of all the good things that unite us...around a pretty good logo.
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