‘Olympukes’by Johnathon Barnbrook
Designed by Jonathan Barnbrook and Marcus McCallion ‘Olympukes’ are series of 'real' pictograms for the Olympics, they are part of Jonathan Barnbrook’s exhibition at the Design Museum London. Much of Barnbrook’s graphic design is not only political work but work with a social conscience intended to use 'design as a weapon for social change.' It includes work in response to the first and second Iraq conflicts, and examples of Barnbrook's typography. It also includes the famous ‘First Things First Manifesto’ which Barnbrook and signed pledging to address the 'unprecedented environmental, social and cultural crises' in the world.
‘Olympukes’ is a font with 52 satire-filled pictograms consisting of one large piece of black plastic board approx 200cm by 150cm wide, with 50 ordered ‘Olympukes’ and ten rows of five pictograms. Above them is a larger pictogram approx 200cm x 200cm, that displays a hand receiving money. As it is the largest I believe Barnbrook regards the exchanging of money as an important aspect of the Olympics. Along side these large pictograms were three smaller pictograms, approx 50cm x 50cm in length. Barnbrook has used different processes and techniques to create his ‘Olympukes.’ He has used thick controlled white lines around each pictogram, the lines used are horizontal and are at right angles to each other. They are flat and 2D due to his lack of detail, and the pictograms on the wall appear to be created with black tape cut into shape. The 50 pictograms are screen printed onto the black plastic, the use of black and white as discordant colour is very effective. The ‘Olympukes’ offer the viewer an un-idealised view of the Olympics, and challenge its integrity. All of the ‘Olympukes’ pictograms are active and make solemn criticizes about the Olympics. As Jonathon Barnbrook writes himself ‘Olympukes..highlighted many of the issues that were not highlighted in the safe idealistic world of the official...