2001

Oil on canvas and cardboard
42 x 30 cm

The Marlboro Man is a figure used in tobacco advertising campaigns for Marlboro cigarettes. In the United States, where the campaign originated, it was used for almost half a century, from 1954 to 1999. The advertisements had a major influence on me. I was drawn towards the enigmatic world of adventure and possibilities that it suggested. To me it felt as if the advertisement campaign was primarily aimed at men. As a woman I felt excluded and was longing to be part of that target group. Painting the imagery of the Marlboro Man world made me feel part of it.