Computer Arts

DESIGN ICON

computerarts.creativebloq.com

Above: Lance Wyman with his Uncle Olmec in 2010. Below: Wyman with the same statue in 1964

spring 2017

I had a strange experience in 1965 that
makes me think my connection to Mexico
started before I designed the graphics
for the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.
it happened while i was working at
the George Nelson office designing the
graphics for the chrysler pavilion at the
1964-65 New York World’s Fair. prior to
that i had lived in Zagreb Yugoslavia (now
croatia) for three months designing and
supervising graphics for the usa pavilion
at the 1962 international exposition.
after returning to New York i received a
postcard from Dr cuk a Zagreb professor
and good friend who worked at the usa
pavilion. He was planning a trip to New
York and wondered if we could get together
for lunch during his stay.
We exchanged postcards and decided
to meet in front of the seagram building
on park avenue. i waited for Dr cuk near
a large stone sculpture in the front plaza
of the building. it was a colossal head
wearing what looked like a helmet of a ball
player or a warrior. i felt it was pulling me
in. i was being affected by a sculpture.
earlier at the World’s Fair i had been
affected by michaelangelo’s white marble
pietà at the vatican pavilion. i got very
emotional the first time i saw it. that
surprised me so i went through the
pavilion for a second time and the same

thing happened. that was an extremely

powerful experience for me.

meeting the big stone head was

powerful but it was a different kind of

experience. it was a strange vibe and very

memorable. When Dr cuk arrived it was

great to see him. after we’d had a friendly

hug i felt compelled to have him take a

picture of me with the big head before we

went to lunch. i’ve been obsessed with

that big stone head ever since.

i later found out it was on loan from

mexico during the fair. it’s an olmec

head carved some 3000 years ago. its

permanent home is at the museum of

archeology in Xalapa mexico. His official

name is san lorenzo colossal Head 1

but i call him uncle olmec.

my first work in mexico was the

graphics for the 1968 olympics. i went

to mexico city in November 1966 – with

fellow designer peter murdoch and my

UNCLE OLMEC

Veteran graphic designer

Lance Wyman discusses

how a sculpture may have

influenced his iconic

1968 Olympics designs

wife Neila – as part of a competition to

design the graphics for the Games. the

only thing i knew about mexico at that

time was that they had piñatas and i had

an uncle olmec. When i discovered the

pre-Hispanic cultures i felt at home. i

think those early artisans created some

of the strongest mythological natural and

geometric images that have been created

anywhere. they were a big influence on

our olympic graphics and as far as my

contributions to that work are concerned

i can’t help but think my uncle olmec was

somehow helping me with the project.

i often wonder if in that first encounter

there was information in that stone head

and somehow i was picking it up. it might

be one of the reasons that mexico has

become so important for me. i’ll probably

never know but i still keep his picture that

Dr cuk took and i visit my uncle olmec in

Xalapa whenever i have the chance.