Judo, 1972, by Otl Aicher

This official Munich 1972 Olympic poster captures a dynamic moment in a judo bout, showing two male athletes mid-throw against a flat gradient background that shifts from deep violet to cyan blue. The simplified halftone rendering, typical of the series, removes all extraneous detail and isolates movement and form. Textured white judogi uniforms contrast sharply with the background, while sparing use of yellow on the athletes' faces and feet adds definition.

Judo had been reintroduced to the Olympic programme in Munich after its debut in Tokyo 1964 and absence in Mexico 1968. As one of the few martial arts in the Games, judo represented a growing internationalisation of Olympic sport. The 1972 competition featured four weight classes, with Japan dominating and taking three of the four gold medals. The venue for the judo events was the Judo Hall at the Olympic Park, one of the many striking venues designed to embody the modern, open spirit of the Munich Games.

Otl Aicher (1922–1991), the lead designer of the Munich 1972 visual identity, developed a comprehensive system of communication rooted in clarity, consistency, and international accessibility. Aicher's poster series was created using screen printing, with strong colour fields and reduced imagery reflecting the influence of Swiss graphic design and Bauhaus principles. As a founding member of the Hochschule für Gestaltung Ulm, Aicher brought modernist rigour to Olympic design, producing over 20 sport posters and a pioneering set of pictograms that are still referenced in visual design today.