MONOCULTURE | A Recent History

Super Model (Female) (1994), a portrait of a nude woman in three-quarter profile from the waist, harks back to early-Renaissance style portraits. The golden aureola above and around her head are influenced by Byzantine iconography. Above, to the right, are three names in pencil under each other – “Linda, Cindy and Naomi” - referring to the eponymous supermodels. Here, Marshall calls into question our society's obsession with fame and beauty. He trades the Madonna figure for Linda, Cindy and Naomi, who have become contemporary icons. With this painting, Marshall aims to subtly undermine our culture of idolatry and idealism.