Wednesday, March 3, 2010

The Final Battle (Tyson vs. Douglas) Screen Print by Eric Tan

From March 4–26, 2010, Gallery1988 LA and OMG Posters! will be hosting an awesome new art exhibit entitled The Greatest Moments in Sports History (A Poster Show). Featuring some of the world’s top screen print artists, The Greatest Moments in Sports History gave these talented artists an opportunity to pick their favorite sports moments and transform them into art. Currently, only a few of the prints for this show have been unveiled, and my favorite one so far is "The Final Battle," a Manga inspired boxing print featuring “Iron” Mike Tyson vs. James “Buster” Douglas by Eric Tan.

The Greatest Moments in Sports History Poster Show - Iron Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas Boxing Match Screen Print by Eric Tan
Tan explained the reason he chose this moment in sports history his blog:

If you follow boxing, or sports in general, you're well aware of the shocker that took place in the heavyweight division 20 years ago. “Iron” Mike Tyson was as close to a sure bet as we had ever seen in the ring. He was an undefeated and indestructible superhero who would annihilate everyone who stood in his path. NO ONE gave his opponent, James “Buster” Douglas an ounce of hope that fateful night in Tokyo. When something impossible happens in front of your eyes, it's something you'll remember forever. Mike Tyson's defeat changed not only the landscape of the division, but the rest of his life as well. That's why I decided to capture this historic event for my contribution to Gallery1988’s "The Greatest Moments in Sports History."

The Manga look was influenced by the fight taking place in Tokyo. I was definitely inspired by video games like Street Fighter when it came to the action. I highlighted their trademark moves (a la Ryu's Fireball or Guile's Sonic Boom) with Tyson's uppercut and Douglas' jab.
Eric Tan’s "The Final Battle" screen print is a 24" x 36" signed and numbered 3 color screen print, is limited to just 100 pieces and retails for $70 each.