Lance Wyman
Edecán Dress and Cape from the XIX Olympics1968

Not on view

Flat-lay of a two-piece cape and dress set, split between solid white and bold tangerine-orange concentric-line graphic print

Sleeveless shift dress with bold op-art pattern of concentric orange and white stripes forming large stylized letterforms across the bodice and skirt.

Artist or Maker: Lance Wyman
United States, New Jersey, Newark, born 1937
Artist or Maker: Julia Johnson-Marshall
England, born 1943, active Mexico City, later Julia Murdoch
Title: Edecán Dress and Cape from the XIX Olympics
Date Made: 1968
Medium: Dress: polyester knit (jersey), screenprinted Cape: polyester knit (jersey), screenprinted, and cotton twill
Dimensions: Center back length (a) Dress): 31 1/4 in. (79.38 cm) Center back length (b) Cape): 24 1/2 in. (62.23 cm)
Credit Line: Purchased with funds provided by the Bernard and Edith Lewin Deaccession Fund
Accession Number: M.2015.123a-b
Classification: Costumes
Collecting Area: Latin American Art
Curatorial Notes: The 1968 Summer Olympics held in Mexico City were a watershed moment in the history of Mexican design. The event marked the first time the Olympics were held in a Spanish-speaking nation and offered Mexico a unique opportunity to present itself as a modern country steeped in rich cultural tradition. Architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, president of the Organizing Committee, promoted the creation of a unique graphic identity and easily legible visual program, which is epitomized by Lance Wyman’s instantly iconic Mexico ’68 logotype. The designer incorporated two of the five Olympic rings into the numbers "6" and "8" and developed a font characterized by rounded figures comprised of concentric lines. True to the mission of the Organizing Committee, Wyman drew on both the tradition of Huichol embroidery and contemporaneous Op art to create the logotype.

Wyman’s logotype appeared in many forms throughout the Mexico ’68 visual program, including on this edecán (hostess) dress designed by Julia Johnson-Marshall (later Julia Murdoch). This dress-and-cape set was issued along with two white mock turtleneck blouses and a pair of orange heels. Edecán uniforms were color coded. Wearers of the orange dress were associated with the press office and escorted reporters and Olympic athletes to events throughout the games. The Mexico ‘68 logotype is placed vertically at the center of the dress, running from nearly the neckline to the hem. It then expands into a series of evenly spaced lines, creating an all-encompassing pattern with the logo at its core.

JoAnna Reyes Walton, Research Assistant, Rachel Kaplan, Wallis Annenberg Curatorial Fellow, Latin American Art, 2017
Selected Bibliography: Gabara, Esther, ed. Pop América, 1965-1975. Durham, North Carolina: Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, 2018.
Copyright: © Lance Wyman

Lance Wyman
Edecán Dress and Cape from the XIX Olympics1968

Not on view

Artist or Maker: Lance Wyman
United States, New Jersey, Newark, born 1937
Artist or Maker: Julia Johnson-Marshall
England, born 1943, active Mexico City, later Julia Murdoch
Title: Edecán Dress and Cape from the XIX Olympics
Date Made: 1968
Medium: Dress: polyester knit (jersey), screenprinted Cape: polyester knit (jersey), screenprinted, and cotton twill
Dimensions: Center back length (a) Dress): 31 1/4 in. (79.38 cm) Center back length (b) Cape): 24 1/2 in. (62.23 cm)
Credit Line: Purchased with funds provided by the Bernard and Edith Lewin Deaccession Fund
Accession Number: M.2015.123a-b
Classification: Costumes
Collecting Area: Latin American Art
Curatorial Notes: The 1968 Summer Olympics held in Mexico City were a watershed moment in the history of Mexican design. The event marked the first time the Olympics were held in a Spanish-speaking nation and offered Mexico a unique opportunity to present itself as a modern country steeped in rich cultural tradition. Architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, president of the Organizing Committee, promoted the creation of a unique graphic identity and easily legible visual program, which is epitomized by Lance Wyman’s instantly iconic Mexico ’68 logotype. The designer incorporated two of the five Olympic rings into the numbers "6" and "8" and developed a font characterized by rounded figures comprised of concentric lines. True to the mission of the Organizing Committee, Wyman drew on both the tradition of Huichol embroidery and contemporaneous Op art to create the logotype.

Wyman’s logotype appeared in many forms throughout the Mexico ’68 visual program, including on this edecán (hostess) dress designed by Julia Johnson-Marshall (later Julia Murdoch). This dress-and-cape set was issued along with two white mock turtleneck blouses and a pair of orange heels. Edecán uniforms were color coded. Wearers of the orange dress were associated with the press office and escorted reporters and Olympic athletes to events throughout the games. The Mexico ‘68 logotype is placed vertically at the center of the dress, running from nearly the neckline to the hem. It then expands into a series of evenly spaced lines, creating an all-encompassing pattern with the logo at its core.

JoAnna Reyes Walton, Research Assistant, Rachel Kaplan, Wallis Annenberg Curatorial Fellow, Latin American Art, 2017
Selected Bibliography: Gabara, Esther, ed. Pop América, 1965-1975. Durham, North Carolina: Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, 2018.