Rio Olympic Posters Debut

Olympic poster fans finally have some new images to covet.

Four-and-a-half years after London unveiled its official images, today in Brazil, the Rio 2016 organizing committee showcased its 13 fresh poster designs for the Games of the XXXIst Olympiad.

According to a press release, 12 of the works are by artists native to the host nation, with one poster showcasing the design of a Colombian national. 

Most of the images feature vivid colors, while one design resembles a black and white astronomical map of galaxies, with the Olympic rings pointing out "you are here" at the Milky Way star cluster.

Rio landmarks, such as the iconic beachfront sidewalks or the city's topographical profile, appear in multiple designs. 

The most original 2016 image may be the assortment of abstract flesh-toned shapes grouped on a blue-green field and encircled by "laurel leaves." 

Another standout may be the graphic representation of several Games-time fields of play, such as a basketball court, rugby pitch or a corner of an Olympic track -- for this observer, the architectural image translated closest to "2016" iconography (as though inspired by a venue infographic). 

All of the Rio posters are vertical. 

As with the finalists for 2012, I personally loved a couple of images and did not care for others. The images blending the ocean and land rose to the top for me. The child with kite and favela skyline is beautiful with a touch of something akin to works by Banksy. 

One image featuring a stylized blue and white sunrise seemed at once to be a potential bridge poster for the Tokyo 2020 Games. Two designs featuring Olympic torches are cool, while one took me back to the more psychedelic works from the 1968 Mexico City or 1972 Munich poster collections. 

But the assortment for Rio has something for everyone.  A gallery for all 13 posters may be viewed on the Rio 2016 Facebook post. 

For collectors heading to Brazil, the originals and prints will be on exhibition at the showstopping Santiago Calatrava masterpiece Museum of Tomorrow in Praca Maua until July 22, then at Deodoro Olympic Park through the Games. 

Prints will be available for sale in two sizes (28cm x 42cm at R$30, or 60cm x 90cm for R$50) in the museum shop and official Rio 2016 Olympic stores, according to the press release.

Images via Rio 2016