Sep 21, 2012, 8:00am

Oakley, one of the leading global sports brands, is celebrating its Olympic BEYOND REASON™ athlete and artist partnership program with a ten day online auction of one-of-a-kind artwork that showcases how elite athletes approach their performance through a distinct, personal lens. The pieces of art, which were inspired by Olympians such as U.S. gold medal beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh, South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius, U.S. hurdler Lolo Jones and British cyclist Mark Cavendish, are available for bidding at www.oakley.com/beyondreasonauction until 9 p.m. EDT on Sunday, September 30^th.

During the lead up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Oakley partnered a select group of its athletes with artists from every corner of the world to launch BEYOND REASON. The artists chosen are innovative and groundbreaking visionaries, who spent time with their athlete partners to better understand what drives and inspires them to push the limits of human performance and endurance. Each artist developed a deeply personal piece of art that showcased the athlete’s BEYOND REASON mentality. The artwork was unveiled at events around the world leading up to the London Olympics and then placed on display during the games at the London Design Museum.

“This unique creative endeavor provided us with a personal view of world class athletes and how they prepare for competition through an artistic lens,” said Mike Crowell, VP of Marketing and GTM. “We chose these athletes to be the first BEYOND REASON collaborators because of their refusal to accept boundaries and willingness to dream and deliver unexpected results. We thank them and their artist partners for sharing with the world what makes them who they are during athletic competition.”

“The road to the 2012 Olympics and my gold medal was a long and rewarding journey,” said London gold medalist Kerri Walsh, who partnered with New York City painter Les Rogers on ‘Six Feet of Sunshine.’ “I am thrilled that one of my fans will be able to own this unique piece of art thanks to Oakley’s BEYOND REASON campaign and enjoy a portal that showcases the positive energy and vibrant passion I bring to the sand each day.”

"Competing in the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2012 Paralympic Games was the highlight of my track career,” said Oscar Pistorius, who teamed with artist WK on a three piece painting ‘Vision, Fear, Accomplishment, 2012.’ “It is my hope that the piece my story inspired WK to create motivates others around the world to embrace the challenges placed in front of them and truly believe that there is nothing Beyond Reason.”

“Oscar’s piece embodies a mix of fear and the hurdles he has faced and continues to overcome,” said WK, artist of Pistorius’ Beyond Reason artwork. “Given the unique reputation that he has throughout the world for his athletic achievements, I wanted this piece to stand tall and proud, focused and intent, while allowing those who viewed it to discover Oscar’s greatness on their own.”

All bidding will take place online at www.oakley.com/beyondreasonauction. The auction will last ten days and end on Sunday, September 30 at 9:00 p.m. EDT. The pieces that will be available for auction are:

• “Six Feet of Sunshine”: Three-time gold medal beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh’s positive personality and distinct winning plays at the net are replicated by painter Les Rogers in his ten foot tall acrylic canvas painting. All proceeds from the sale will go to the Chase the Stars Foundation.
• “Run Lolo Run, 2012”: Artist Sarah Olson portrays two-time Olympic medalist Lolo Jones’ competitive mentality that she is the eye of a massive storm, catapulting herself over hurdles, both literal and figurative, in this 60’’ x 48’’ oil on wood panel painting. All proceeds from the sale will go to The Salvation Army.
• “Vision, Fear, Accomplishment, 2012”: Olympic sprinter and double amputee Oscar Pistorius’ ability to inspire, through both athleticism and humility, is captured in WK’s painting. All proceeds from the sale will go to Challenged Athletes Foundation.
• “Portrait (Javier Gomez)”: The emotional and mental elements that 2012 Olympic silver medal winner Javier Gomez puts into the three disciplines of a triathlon are all captured in artist El Pez’s mixed media piece. All proceeds from the sale will go to UNICEF UK.
• “Portrait (Shot Put)”: Often referred to as “The World’s Greatest Athlete”, two-time Olympic gold medal winner Bryan Clay’s extreme dedication to being the best is depicted by painter Natalie Frank in this 44’’ x 32’’ oil on canvas painting. All proceeds from the sale will go to the Bryan Clay Foundation.
• “Wheeler, 2012”: Si Scott’s paper cut out piece expertly captures the controlled chaos felt by Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish when his explosive power confronts controlled energy during competition. All proceeds from the sale will go to Right to Play.

Visit Oakley.com to learn about the company’s sport performance and lifestyle products. Follow our BEYOND REASON journey on Twitter at #BEYONDREASON

About Oakley, Inc.

Established in 1975 and headquartered in Southern California, Oakley is one of the leading sports brands in the world. The holder of more than 600 patents, Oakley is continually seeking problems, solving them with inventions and wrapping those inventions in art. This philosophy has made Oakley one of the most iconic and inimitable brands on the market, with innovations that world-class athletes around the globe depend on to compete at the highest level possible. Oakley is famed for its insuperable lens technologies such as High Definition Optics® (HDO®) which is incorporated into all Oakley sun and prescription eyewear, and all premium Oakley goggles. Oakley has extended its leadership position as the world’s leading sports eyewear brand into apparel, footwear and accessories collections. Laser focused on the consumer, Oakley has both men’s and women’s product lines that target Sports Performance, Active and Lifestyle consumers. Oakley is a subsidiary of Luxottica Group. Additional information is available at www.oakley.com.