Wojciech Pietranik
Encyclopedia
Wojciech Pietranik is a Polish
artist and sculptor best known for his design work for coins and medals.
Pietranik was born in Gdańsk
, Poland, and he achieved a Masters in Sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts. He did freelance work from 1975 before moving to Darwin, Australia
in 1985 to become a teacher. Three years later he moved with his family to Canberra
. In 1989 he began working for the Royal Australian Mint
and his designs have since featured on the reverse of many Australian commemorative coins
.
, hosted in Sydney
. He created a model using plasticine
and cast the finished design in plaster, sending his work to the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) along with his sketches. The selection committee chose Pietranik's design which, as per the brief, was based on the obverse by Giuseppe Cassioli
's Trionfo
design which had been used at every Summer Olympic Games since 1928. Pietranik's version had featured the Sydney Opera House
on the obverse instead of the traditional Roman
Colosseum
but the International Olympic Committee
decided that the Colosseum should remain. He made the changes and the test strikes were completed. When the design was formally revealed it was criticised by the Greek
press for featuring the Colosseum rather than the Greek Parthenon
. Despite the criticism, SOCOG decided to continue with the design as it was, noting that there was insufficient time to complete another version and that it would be too costly. The final version of the medal measured 68 mm in diameter, 5 mm in thickness, and weighed 180 grams.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
artist and sculptor best known for his design work for coins and medals.
Pietranik was born in Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
, Poland, and he achieved a Masters in Sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts. He did freelance work from 1975 before moving to Darwin, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1985 to become a teacher. Three years later he moved with his family to Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. In 1989 he began working for the Royal Australian Mint
Royal Australian Mint
The Royal Australian Mint is situated in the Australian federal capital city of Canberra, in the suburb of Deakin.Before the opening of the mint, Australian coins were struck at branches of the Royal Mint - the Sydney Mint, Melbourne Mint and Perth Mint. The Royal Australian Mint holds a place in...
and his designs have since featured on the reverse of many Australian commemorative coins
Australian commemorative coins
Coins of the Australian dollar are circulated with different designs depicting various anniversaries or significant Australian events, these differing coin designs being labelled Australian commemorative coins...
.
Sydney Olympics medal
Pietranik was one of 18 artists and jewellery designers to be invited to submit a design for the Olympic medal that would be awarded at the 2000 Summer Games2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, hosted in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. He created a model using plasticine
Plasticine
Plasticine, a brand of modelling clay, is a putty-like modelling material made from calcium salts, petroleum jelly and aliphatic acids. The name is a registered trademark of Flair Leisure Products plc...
and cast the finished design in plaster, sending his work to the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) along with his sketches. The selection committee chose Pietranik's design which, as per the brief, was based on the obverse by Giuseppe Cassioli
Giuseppe Cassioli
Giuseppe Cassioli was an Italian painter and sculptor most famous for his Summer Olympic Games medal design.-Biography:...
's Trionfo
Trionfo
Trionfo is an Italian word meaning "triumph", also "triumphal procession", and a car or float in such a procession. It may derive from a call of triumph during antique triumphal processions: "Io triumpe"...
design which had been used at every Summer Olympic Games since 1928. Pietranik's version had featured the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
on the obverse instead of the traditional Roman
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
Colosseum
Colosseum
The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre , is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire...
but the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
decided that the Colosseum should remain. He made the changes and the test strikes were completed. When the design was formally revealed it was criticised by the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
press for featuring the Colosseum rather than the Greek Parthenon
Parthenon
The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their virgin patron. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although...
. Despite the criticism, SOCOG decided to continue with the design as it was, noting that there was insufficient time to complete another version and that it would be too costly. The final version of the medal measured 68 mm in diameter, 5 mm in thickness, and weighed 180 grams.
Exhibition
The Royal Australian Mint celebrated Pietranik's 20 years of design and sculpture work with an exhibition in 2010. Striking Art Lasting Impressions housed collections of his coins, the Olympic medal designs, and featured Pietranik as a guest speaker on 30 January 2010.External links
- Wojciech Pietranik, Sculptor & Engraver, Royal Australian Mint (1950-?) at Museum VictoriaMuseum VictoriaMuseum Victoria is an organisation which operates three major state-owned museums in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; these are: the Melbourne Museum, the Immigration Museum and Scienceworks. It also manages the Royal Exhibition Building and a storage facility in Melbourne's City of Moreland.Museum...
- Coin commemorates National Service at Australian GeographicAustralian GeographicThe Australian Geographic is a quarterly geographical magazine-style journal created by Dick Smith in 1985. It focuses mainly on stories about Australia, or about Australian people in other countries...
- one dollar at the Royal Australian Mint
- Mint makes our convict heritage golden at the Royal Australian Mint