They were among 12 artists who have been invited to create an image for the event next summer and were unveiled for the first time here at a special ceremony attended by London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe and Jonathan Edwards, the 2000 Olympic triple jump gold medallist.

They will each create a poster for the Olympics or Paralympics and are being given an almost completely free rein.

Cultural Olympiad director Ruth Mackenzie unveiled the dozen to coincide with the one-year countdown to the start of the 12-week London 2012 Festival.

Asking artists to create Olympic posters is a tradition dating back to 1912, when Stockholm hosted the Olympics. 

Previous names who have been involved include David Hockney and Andy Warhol.

Warhol produced a speedskater design for the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics and Hockney did a poster for the Los Angeles Games in the same year.

The 2012 artists will be paid a fee for their work although Mackenzie refused to say what the amount would be.

Emin, who is desiging a Paralympic poster, said: "I have got to get my work done quick because I gather that some people have already done theirs.

"I am doing a poster for the Paralympics and I want to make it about the celebration of London.

"I also think it might be a simple idea or a drawing.

"I wanted to do this because it would be fun and it [London 2012] is something to celebrate.

"Even for people who are not interested in sport the Olympics will be a chance for us to show what we are good at - whether it is street fashion, music or art.

"[I want to] show the world that London can really throw a party and that was what it was like with the Royal Wedding.

"In times of depression, what came across as really, really cool was the arts.

"Arts and culture is the soul of the country."


The posters, which will go on sale this autumn, will be used to spearhead a high-profile campaign to promote the Games.

The other artists are Fiona Banner, Michael Craig-Martin, Anthea Hamilton, Howard Hodgkin, Gary Hume, Sarah Morris, Chris Ofili, Bridget Riley, Bob and Roberta Smith and Rachel Whiteread.

They were chosen from a list of some 100, but organisers would not disclose how they came to their final decision.

Asked why Damien Hirst had not made the list, for example, Mackenzie replied: "I think the answer is, we're not going to go there."

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