Los Angeles 1984 is an in-depth research of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics as a spectacle of (then) epic proportions. Subject to a Soviet-bloc boycott, the 1984 Olympics were generally regarded as a huge success, especially in terms of the remaining “surplus”. Informing my project are the design protocols for “The Look”, the official color scheme and architectural standards for all temporary structures and decorations surrounding the Olympics. I examine the inherent political aspects of the design, implemented to excite Los Angeles residents through “sheer emotional pageantry”. Its application relied on its direct contrast to the sober red and gold of the Moscow designs of the preceding summer Olympics (subject to an American boycott). In 1984, magenta, aqua and chrome yellow “urban confetti” exploded all over Los Angeles, demarcating buildings and sports facilities tied to the Games.
In a series of drawings, collages and altered photographs, I follow these protocols to their apogee. The works touch on issues of the reliability of presented history—the very traditions of Modern Olympics are rooted in fabrications—and of international politics played out in a mythologized arena—the Olympics have never been free from political overtone or symbolism. By manipulating historical information, I re-present a specific time in American history to make the viewer aware of my manipulations as well as the deeper machinations of the nations and organizations involved in the original event.
WORKS
And the 7-foot 8-inch spaceman said, 2009
Gloating comes instinctively, 2009-10
It was recognized only so much could be achieved by design, 2009
Let's have all the fucking flags of the world unfurl at one great moment, 2009
The Lost Angeles Olympics, 1984: Athletics, 2009
Medal ranking was invented by the media, 2009
TIME magazine's Man of the Year, 1984, 2009