British Airways to unveil London 2012 dove design with Pascal Anson and Tracey Emin
British Airways has revealed that the design of the aircraft to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be ‘The Dove’, created by British artist and BA Great Briton Pascal Anson.
The design was chosen by Tracey Emin, who is working with Anson during the project.
Emin said: “It would have been easy to put a motif or a pattern on the side of an aircraft; but Pascal’s design takes it to another level. He uses the entire livery of the aircraft to redefine the way you look at it. The dove is a stunning piece of work and will bring real excitement to anyone who flies on one of the repainted planes.”
He spent time in a cote observing the birds, and incorporates the intricate detail on the livery, which will use a new colour of paint produced by the British Airways engineering team and its suppliers.
Anson, said: “On my journeys from Brighton to London, I’ve often looked up at aircraft landing at Gatwick and wondered if it’s a bird or a plane, and the idea developed from there. When I started researching birds further I realised it had to be a dove. Not only are they a symbol of peace and social unity, but they were also used in previous Olympic Games ceremonies, including the last London Games in 1948.”
The BA Great Britons Programme was launched to discover the best of British talent in art, as well as food and film and offer British talent a platform in the run up to the London 2012 Games. The short film, London 2012 inspired menu and aircraft launch will all take place in April.