Olympic posters at the Walker Art Gallery

Colourful design by Otmar Alt

With London 2012 well under way, we thought we'd contribute to the Olympic spirit with a look at 18 lithographic prints from the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, currently on display at the Walker Art Gallery. The show has been put together to 'relate artistic activity to the Olympic Games', exploring the first ever artist-commissioned series to promote the sporting extravaganza. The room has a range of styles, from Pop Art graphics to the more painterly Abstract Expressionism, from such internationally renowned artists as Allen Jones, Oskar Kokoshka, Ron Kitaj and David Hockney.

The artists were chosen by the 1972 Olympic organising committee and used themes ranging from the strength and movement of the human body to the competition between sporting brands, as shown in the poster by Allen Jones.

The posters awaiting framing

The show is on for the duration of the Olympic Games with free entry.