Artwork
Olympic Stadium with Cranes II
Olympic Stadium with Cranes II is a print by Anne Desmet. It dates from 2009 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
The work blends wood-engraving with stencilled and blended colour, producing a quiet atmospheric effect that suggests the soft light of dawn.
Anne Desmet, a British printmaker born in 1964, explores urban transformation through traditional and experimental print techniques. Olympic Stadium with Cranes II is part of a series initiated in 2009, documenting the construction of the London Olympic Park in Hackney. The work blends wood-engraving with stencilled and blended colour, producing a quiet atmospheric effect that suggests the soft light of dawn.
Subject & Meaning
The print captures the Olympic Stadium during its construction phase, viewed from above with cranes rising like skeletal figures around its circular form. It reflects the tension between progress and disruption, portraying infrastructure as both monumental and transient. The absence of human figures emphasizes the scale of the project and the quiet rhythm of labor, evoking a sense of anticipation rather than celebration.
Technique & Style
Desmet employs wood-engraving as a foundation, layering it with stencilled pigments and hand-blended inks to simulate the subtle gradations of morning light. This hybrid approach merges the precision of traditional printmaking with the spontaneity of painterly effects. The result is a textured surface that balances sharp architectural lines with hazy, atmospheric tones, enhancing the sense of time and place.
History & Provenance
Created between 2009 and 2012, this print belongs to a body of work responding to the physical and social changes in Hackney during the lead-up to the 2012 London Olympics. Desmet made multiple visits to the site, observing the evolving landscape. The work entered the V&A’s collection as part of its documentation of contemporary British printmaking and urban development.
Context
Desmet’s series engages with a lineage of architectural representation, drawing subtle parallels to Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s etchings of Roman ruins and modernist urban studies. The circular form of the stadium echoes her earlier collage work, Whirlpool, suggesting a recurring interest in spiraling, layered structures. The prints sit at the intersection of documentary observation and poetic interpretation.
Legacy
Olympic Stadium with Cranes II contributes to a broader redefinition of printmaking as a medium for contemporary urban commentary. Desmet’s fusion of traditional methods with innovative colour techniques has influenced a generation of printmakers seeking to balance historical craft with modern subject matter. The work remains a quiet record of a pivotal moment in London’s urban history.
Artist & collection
Artist
Anne Julie Desmet is a British artist who specialises in wood engravings, linocuts and mixed media collages.
