[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkQsXls7m0o]
Last week the medals for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics were unveiled. They feature artwork by Corrine Hunt and were designed by Omer Arbel.
‘Their undulating forms evoke British Columbia’s mountains, ocean and snow. Their faces are drawn from West Coast First Nations artwork depicting the orca and raven. Each is unique. And their substantial size gives them a significant presence.’
Making the 2010 Winter Games medals was a two-year project because they’re so unique. It was a collaborative effort between Canadian Aboriginal designer/artist, Corinne Hunt, internationally renowned industrial designer, Omer Arbel, the Royal Canadian Mint, Teck Resources Limited, and VANOC’s in-house design team.
The blueprints for these medals are based on two large master artworks (Olympic and Paralympic) from which each of the medals was hand-cropped. No crop is the same as another so that ensures every medal is unique. The master artworks were created by Corrine Hunt, a Vancouver, BC-based artist of Komoyue and Tlingit heritage. Hunt chose the orca as the motif for the Olympic medals, and the raven as the motif for the Paralympic medals.
The 2010 Winter Games medals will be produced by the royal Canadian Mint with metals supplied by Canadian mining and metals giant teck resources limited. They will be among the heaviest medals in Olympic and Paralympic history, weighing between 500 grams and 576 g.
Their form was inspired by ocean waves, drifting snow and the mountainous landscapes found in the Games region and across Canada.
For further information visit: www.mint.ca.