In 1984, Los Angeles was the host city for the Summer Olympic Games. At that time, Robert Miles Runyan had been in business for well over 20 years and was a world-renowned graphic artist and designer. The Olympic Committee did not hesitate to ask his firm to submit a design to depict the 1984 Olympic games. After 3500 submitted drawings and countless hours of research from many companies, Runyan's logo "Stars in Motion" was conceived and incorporated with the Olympic Rings to designate the 1984 Summer Olympics.
The Olympic Rings are the official symbol of the "modern" Olympic movement founded in 1896. Designed by Frenchman Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1913, the ring emblem represents the union of five continents to celebrate the common aspirations of athletes from around the world.
For the 1984 Olympics, Robert took Coubertin's original concept a step further, and developed the "Stars in Motion" to represent two them: the athlete, who is a star in his or her own right as well as a movement in motion....and, further, to represent the three medals that are awarded at the ceremonies: gold, silver, and bronze. The colors red, white and blue, of the "Stars in Motion", were chosen because at that time, almost every flag in the world had at least one of these three colors representing their nation.
Robert Runyan settled in Los Angeles after WWII and had opened his graphic design firm when he was only 24 years old. He later designed and built a Victorian style mansion in Manhattan Beach, California, which was an extra-ordinary statement of his aesthetic perception and design philosophy spanning time and cultures. His life style was celebrated and publicized in numerous art and design publications all over the world.
With an illustrious career spanning over 50 years and with hundreds of credits and awards for his innovative graphic designs, he decided to semi-retire to Lakeside and sink his teeth into a personal project. With his wife, Claudette, he began another design project, their own "Mexican Hacienda" here at Lakeside.
Known as a perfectionist, he and Claudette have labored long and hard to create their latest work of art. Unlike his Manhattan Beach home, the Lakeside
house is a world of pure Mexican design. Upon entering the Runyan world, you are somewhat overwhelmed with the richness and variety, of every conceivable form, color and texture, which Mexican architecture can provide.
Robert often speaks of artists who live in the 5th dimension. This is his dimension. It is where you meet and get to know him as the unique and wonderfully gifted person that he is.
