Friday, October 16, 2009

2010 Winter Olympic Medals

The 2010 Winter Olympic medals were unveiled yesterday. They're quite strange and unique, but much to my surprise, I like them. One interesting fact is that they're partially supplemented with trace amounts of gold, silver and copper reclaimed from discarded electronics -- gold 1.52 percent, silver 0.122 percent and copper 1.1 percent -- the practice is an Olympic first. The thing I like best about them is the art work, they feature the Orca whale and were designed by artist Corrine Hunt, a First Nations Artist. According to the Vancouver Olympics website, The orca, designed across four panels in the style of a traditional West Coast First Nations bentwood box, is often associated with the attributes of strength, dignity and teamwork. The sleek and powerful black and white whales are common to the waters off Canada’s West Coast but are also found in all the world’s oceans. The medals for the Paralympic Games will feature the Raven.

I have always been very partial to Orcas, and when I was growing up on Vancouver Island my father used to take us "whale watching" off the coast of Tofino, where we would watch the pods of Orcas swim close to shore. My father loved Aboriginal art, and he did a painting of the Orca and the Raven, which I now have in my house, and is one of my treasures. My parents had a wonderful First Nations art collection of baskets, totem poles and paintings which they donated to the museum in Port Alberni, but I still have some of the baskets and paintings. So, I think my Dad would approve of the medals as well. All we need now is for some of our Canadian athletes to win a few -- gold would be nice.

And while they're at it, perhaps this will be the season a Canadian team will bring home the Stanley Cup.

13 comments:

Jennifer D said...

I love the medals! Modern yet not.

Every year I sweep the chimney in this vacant condo unit that has aboriginal art just like you mentioned on all the walls. I find them fascinating and I always wonder what the owners of the condo are like and what is the story behind their artwork.

Great post jo.

Nicole said...

I really like the medals.
Your parents sound like they were fascinating people. What a great environment to grow up in!

Katy said...

I saw a side photo of these on a news website this morning (forget which one) and you could really see that they are wavey. This head on shot looks better. I think its cool that each one is going to be handmade so no two metals will be a like.

Swetha said...

they are looking good, and are different ...

Russell said...

Pretty nice, yes, yes.

I always assumed the Olympic medals were flat, smooth medals -- it never occurred to me that they would have a unique design built into them. But that makes sense.

Certainly the Orca is a good choice. Probably a bit more classy than having sled dogs and Mounties!

the walking man said...

the medals are well done but...Lord Stanley's Cup has immigrated to the United States.

Firefly the Travel Guy said...

I love the medals as well.

It is wonderfull to have such keepsakes from ones parents and grandparents as you have and one needs to look after it and pass it on to the next generation one day.

Have you ever been back to the museum to see the articles your father donated to them?

Anonymous said...

I like the medals and I love your father's painting. It's beautifully framed also.

Wow...whale watching! That's on my bucket list.

Muznah said...

I love that your blog carries so many subjects and so many portrayals of life. I love the Orca on the medals. My fascination with them began with "Free Willy" :)

Paula Slade said...

Wow! The medals have certainly taken on a contemporary look - very distinctive. Wonderful idea about incorporating trace metals from discarded electronics.

TomCat said...

I like them too. And if the Leafs win the cup, denizens of hades will enjoy ice scating. ;-)

nomore said...

Look so very nice medals...Probably the world's famouse figure skate player Yu-Na Kim will bringing it one~two into this zone and some of Golds,Silvers also by the speed skaters...i believe.....Lovely and charming medals....

nomore said...

The Korean speed skaters received 3 Gold medals and a Silver medal yet..Probably they will receive it more...Because they love the medals...