Description
A Blunt Message About Mortality
This poster hits different when you understand it: “RIP”—Rest in Peace. It’s not just clever wordplay; it’s a direct statement about cigarettes’ deadly consequences wrapped in the bright, familiar language of cigarette marketing.
The message is stark: “All the nicotine, twice the tar. Now more addictive.” Then the uncomfortable punch: “Rip open a pack. Rip yourself.” But beneath it all, that RIP acronym reframes everything. This isn’t about harm reduction—it’s about acknowledging that smoking leads to death.
The Design
Bold pop art in primary colors, printed on heavyweight Muscletone 140lb French paper. The interactive pop-up fold in the center adds irony—it mimics cigarette packaging design while subverting its message. This is pop-art designed as a weapon against the cigarette industry marketing.
Activism as Art
This captures a crucial moment when artists stopped asking permission to talk about smoking’s lethality. It’s funny and horrifying at once, which is exactly why it works. The satire hits harder when you understand the stakes.
Original & Preserved
This is an authentic lithograph in very good condition—not a reproduction. Comes with our Certificate of Authenticity.
Perfect For
Collectors of activist art, design historians, those who appreciate dark humor with moral weight, and anyone interested in art that speaks uncomfortable truths.
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