Olympia #18

In Olympia, artist Barry Sutton’s synthetic photographs capture the raw emotion, competitive spirit, and complex political undertones that accompany the global event that is the Olympic Games.

This series captures the intensity of the Olympics, borrowing from the hyper-contrast of contemporary sports photography, and the exquisite framing of documentary classics. By using artificial intelligence to create these synthetic photographs, Sutton is able to convey the spirit of sport in motion in exquisite detail, while displaying corporeal forms in the abstract.

This process also widens the imaginative possibilities of narrative in each of the images, and Sutton uses this opportunity to portray the Games through the lens of contemporary mythologies. Bringing attention to social topics like immigration, doping, violence, poverty, and more – this series leaves space to consider human rights and the myriad global issues facing humanity.

Olympia is ultimately a provocation more than a statement, celebrating the Games’ spirit of achievement, while also challenging viewers to confront the global social climate surrounding its presence.