Poster for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games held in Los Angeles, California

April Greiman and Jayme Odgers’ poster is part of a fifteen poster set commissioned by the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee (LAOOC) for the Games of the XXIIIrd Olympiad in 1984. The signed limited edition (750) prints were created by both internationally known American artists and young emerging local artists selected by the Committee to commemorate the Games, and Los Angeles’ and the United States’ unique contribution to the contemporary art scene.

The modern Olympic movement, founded by Baron de Coubertin, emphasized the development of a ‘total person’ and included art and a cultural Olympiad as a creative complement to athletic demonstrations. Posters have acted as a primary expression of the Games since the modern revival in 1896; each represented by an official poster. They have also served as announcements, souvenirs, fine art prints, and visual reminders throughout the history of the Olympics, ancient and modern.

April Greiman (1948- ) and Jayme Odgers (1939- ) began collaborating in Los Angeles while introducing New Wave design in the US during the 70s and 80s. Greiman was educated at the Kansas City Art Institute and Basel School of Design in Switzerland before moving to Los Angeles and Odgers received his BA from the Los Angeles Art Center. Both continue to live and work in Los Angeles.

Contrary to many of the other artists selected for the poster commission, Greiman and Odgers were both designers and often worked with posters as a medium. Specializing in digital and new media art, their poster is representative of many New Wave design elements, including Odgers experimental collage photography.

The 1984 Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad were held in Los Angeles, California with 140 countries, 5,263 men and 1,566 women athletes participating. These Games were boycotted by fourteen countries, including the Soviet Union because of America’s boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. American Carl Lewis won four gold medals in track and field while Joan Benoit won gold for the U.S. in the first women’s marathon. Mary Lou Retton dominated women’s gymnastics becoming the first American to win the gymnastics all-around competition and the American men won the gold in the gymnastics team competition. With the addition of women’s only events of rhythmic gymnastics and synchronized swimming and the addition of women’s events in track and field, shooting and cycling, women athletes were just beginning to see results from Title IX legislation of twelve years prior. The United States won the medal count with 174.

Currently not on view