Hannes Schmid

AMERICAN MYTH - MACHISMO

Hannes Schmid is considered the most famous photographer in Switzerland.
He became world famous for his photographs of the "Marlboro Men".

The lonely cowboy became so strong a figure of American culture through his long history and especially through the Western in literature and film.
However, the emblematic image of the cowboy only exists as a myth.
As such, the iconic figure symbolizes pure masculinity as well as characteristics such as strength, independence, freedom and closeness to nature. Over time, these typical attributes have been isolated from the real cowboy and become the hallmark of the cowboy we know today. With his horse, boots, spurs and hat, he is attractive for both sexes as the pure equivalent of what we are looking for or want to be. The cowboy myth has survived the decades and has acquired its own meaning. This is exactly where the "American Myth" work group begins.

Hannes Schmid