After two weeks of exciting competition, the London 2012 Summer Olympics will end this weekend with the Closing Ceremony on Sunday. Gymnastics was one of my favorite sports this year and Team USA’s Fierce Five certainly did not disappoint, bringing home five medals, three of them gold.
Five fierce artworks from our contemporary collection—interestingly enough, all Untitled—remind me of this graceful sport.
The vault:
Untitled, Franz Kline, 1959, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, gift of George T. and Natalie H. (Schatzie) Lee
The balance beam:
Untitled, Nigel Hall, 1973, Dallas Museum of Art, Bryan Williams Fund
The uneven bars:
Untitled, Carlo Guaita, 1988, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Mr. and Mrs. I. C. Deal
The floor exercise:
Untitled, Richard Anuszkiewicz, n.d, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Duncan E. Boeckman
A gymnast in the midst of her routine:
Untitled, Joel Shapiro, 1981-1984, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Exxon Corporation
What artworks remind you of the Olympics?
If you’re not ready for the Olympic spirit to end just yet, you’ll want to get tickets for Arts & Letters Live on October 9. Chris Cleave will discuss his new novel Gold, which centers on two athletes at their last Olympic Games, London 2012.
Sarah Coffey
Assistant to the Chair of Learning Initiatives
