Deep piers, pier content, one pier per household, one pier can not be less... In recent days, the Internet hot word "pier" is full of gas, "ice pier" has entered the hot search list; the "pier" at the entrance of the offline store is amazing, and the crowd that waits for hours in the cold wind can not see the edge.
Throughout the previous Olympic Games, the mascot has become the "top of the Winter Olympics", which can be said to be unprecedented. What's more, such a mascot with "ice and snow style" comes from the design team of the southern team of rare ice and snow- the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts (hereinafter referred to as "Guangmei").
For the design team, this is also a "Frozen", breaking the stereotype that "southerners who have never seen ice and snow are difficult to design the mascot of the Winter Olympics".
Outside the beijing 2022 official licensed goods flagship store, citizens lined up in a long line. Nanfang Daily reporter Zhang Di photographed
"Panda is the right choice"
"The Olympic mascot is so popular, it should be the first time in history." Sold out of stock, the whole network brush screen, the global hot, the "ice pier" design team leader, Guangmei Professor Cao Xue said unexpectedly. After 10 months of hard work, from the middle layer of 5816 mascot design schemes from 38 countries around the world, the popularity of the "ice pier" still exceeded everyone's expectations.
As the image ambassador of the Olympic Games, the mascot often plays a publicity role before the game. When the Olympic Games officially open, the public's attention will turn to the competition, and the attention to the mascot will gradually fade.
But the "ice pier" did not take the usual path. "The Olympics have opened, and it's getting hotter and hotter." Liu Pingyun, chief executive of the design team and associate professor of Guangmei, believes that the dissemination and influence of Chinese cultural elements are indispensable, and "pandas are the most correct choice."
"Ice Pier". Nanfang Daily reporter Yao Yuyang photographed
Round and rolling figure, wearing an ice crystal shell, the bright color of the "ice ribbon" buckled on the helmet, the "ice pier" is cute and full of technology. IOC President Bach said: "The ice pier concentrates the essence and characteristics of Chinese culture in one, and will surely become a goodwill ambassador for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics." ”
In Cao Xue's view, the "ice pier" is sought after, and because it is currently encountering the cold winter of the new crown pneumonia epidemic and the international situation, people have a sense of honor and mission, actively participate in national events and international events, and look forward to prosperity and beauty. "Wait for hours in the cold wind, what is the picture?" At this moment, I held warmth and warmth in my hands. Cao Xue bluntly said that he was also deeply moved, "This is the power of art and design."
On the streets of Beijing, the "ice pier" has become the protagonist of everyone's favorite group photo. Nanfang Daily reporter Zhang Di photographed
The Prince of Monaco wants to bring back a pair of "ice piers" for the twins at home, Japanese reporters "bring goods" for them, and US media reporters have been posting photos on social media for days... "Across borders and languages, friends around the world have brought home the Olympic spirit and love." Cao Xue said that the "ice pier" is a friendly ambassador who tells Chinese stories well and spreads Chinese culture, and visual expression is better than a thousand words.
The age of the teacher and student team covers the old, middle and young people
Led by Cao Xue, the "Ice Pier" design team has a total of 14 people, half teachers and half students, and the age range ranges from "post-60s" to "post-90s".
"The age structure of the old, middle and young people is something I deliberately did." In addition to maintaining the maturity and freshness of the design, Cao Xue admitted that the opportunity to design a mascot is a rare opportunity, and hopes to bring students to participate together. "I am both a combatant and a commander, and I believe that students can gain valuable experience from it."
On October 11, 2018, the first meeting of the creative team was held. Courtesy of respondents
In this special "course", the team of teachers and students is constantly tested.
In 10 months, the design has undergone 21 major revisions and countless minor modifications. From the first draft of "rock sugar gourd" to "ice panda", it took the team 2 months to finalize from the image of various animals such as elk, tiger, rabbit and so on.
The design team meets to modify the plan. Courtesy of respondents
Since then, the team has once again been caught up in a long process of exploration.
There was "Pan Pan" at the 1990 Asian Games and "Jingjing" in the 2008 Olympic Games, how to make a different "panda" this time? And how to break through the black and white color and add a touch of red to the event that coincides with the Spring Festival? The team plunged into a variety of materials, compared the images of tens of thousands of pandas, and constantly innovated.
"After reading countless pandas, we have a unique ice pier." Liu Pingyun recalled that during the revision of the plan, every Monday was round: the first five days of overtime to change the design, the last two days sent to Beijing, waiting for the modification of opinions, anxiety has become the norm of the team. "But once you don't pass, there's nothing left."
The design team held an emergency meeting to discuss the plan. Courtesy of respondents
He Ge was also part of the design team and was in graduate school in Guangmei at the time. "The confidentiality of the project is very high, and I have to send the design to Beijing every time." The designer incarnated as a "plan courier", took the earliest flight of the day to Beijing, and then returned to Guangzhou at night, so that there have been twenty or thirty times.
Realization is more important than experience
"It's far from ice and snow culture, and I'm afraid it's going to be difficult." More than three years ago, when the expert group of the Winter Olympics Organizing Committee arrived in Guangdong, it was the last stop of the mascot collection activity, and there were only 19 days left before the deadline.
"Children who may have never seen ice and snow have more extraordinary imagination and creativity about ice and snow and ice sports." In the face of the concerns raised by the expert group, Cao Xue was not convinced and blurted out in front of everyone.
The design team modifies the scenario. Courtesy of respondents
The more questionable you are, the more you have to move forward. Cao Xue, who grew up in Nanjing, still remembers playing in the snow, but "70% or 80% of the teachers and students in the team rarely see ice and snow, or even have not seen it."
Therefore, the team learned to ski in Guangzhou Sunac Snow World to improve their sensitivity and sensitivity to ice and snow; went to Sichuan to observe the giant pandas and carefully carved the design details of the "ice pier".
Ice and snow experience for the design team. Courtesy of respondents
"Everyone seems to have a natural yearning for ice and snow. Seeing that the whole Shougang Lake was frozen in Beijing, we couldn't help but run to the lake to spread joy. In He Ge's WeChat circle of friends, there are many photos of "sunning snow", revealing excitement in words. "Now we are all 'snow crazy', and the design mascot not only does not have 'ice and snow obstacles', but also brings us more yearning for ice and snow." He said.
Who says a team that hasn't seen ice and snow has a hard time designing a Winter Olympic mascot? As Cao Xue said, the artistic designer is a character actor, not a true actor, and experience is more important than experience.
Text / Southern Daily Yao Yuyang