At the 2024 Olympic Games, British painter Peter Spens stands out among photographers armed with expensive cameras and long lenses, calling himself a “troglodyte” with his brushes, oil paints, and large canvas. While photographers capture moments with their cameras, Spens focuses on creating a single painting that conveys the essence and spirit of the event.
“This is a collage of moments,” says the 63-year-old artist about his work. Unlike photography, which captures a specific instant, “the painting brings back the spirits of the event.”
This is Spens’ third Olympic Games, commissioned by the International Volleyball Federation to create a painting of the beach volleyball competitions. While photographers take hundreds or even thousands of images over the course of the games, Spens will produce just one painting.
“We’re so used now as a society to phone images, and everyone takes thousands of images daily,” he notes. He aims to convey his perceptions and the reality of the event through his art.
Spens works from a prominent spot at the Olympics, positioned at the top row of the stands with a view of the beach volleyball court and the Eiffel Tower in the background. He describes the iconic landmark as “a much more potent symbol of the city of Paris than any of the previous works that I’ve worked on.”
On a recent day, a large red umbrella shielded his easel from the sun, while the heat prompted him to paint in his socks, with a thermos of tea and a bottle of water within reach.
Spens has been dedicated to his painting from dawn until dusk, only pausing for a brief lunch. Despite his diligent work, only the silhouettes of spectators, players, and the Eiffel Tower are visible on his canvas so far, with the final details to be added as the Olympic champions are decided.
“I am not anxious, I am excited,” he says with a smile, reflecting on the work still to come.
As he paints the ever-changing crowd of spectators, Spens focuses on individual faces and the finer details around them. His painting aims to capture the emotional intensity and excitement of the Olympics rather than a precise replication of reality.
Spens created his first Olympic beach volleyball painting in London, followed by a piece in Rio, and missed the Tokyo Olympics due to the coronavirus pandemic. Over the years, his appreciation for beach volleyball and the teamwork it represents has deepened.
“I’m seeing the best players in the world,” he says. Despite considering himself old-fashioned, Spens values his work amid the growing influence of technology and artificial intelligence.
“My message would be to put your phone on silent and in your pocket and get out your sketchbook and crayons,” he advises. “Painting and drawing is a mindful, restorative activity because it’s putting you in touch with the world outside yourself.”