Museum Representations of Maoist China

Chinese Propaganda Posters at the British Library

“…Indeed, for decades of the twentieth century, Western-dominated art history decreed that Chinese art 'finished' in 1911 with the Nationalist Revolution; perceived thereafter to be 'sullied' by Western influence and ideology. 106 Yet, far from moribund and stagnant as these posters demonstrate, there was diversity and inventiveness in the visual culture of this tumultuous period of Chinese history. And the value and significance of the collection to the institution is borne out by its continued development.…”

“…I argue that this material can be examined 'for what it can reveal about an extraordinary period of Chinese history that had implications beyond national borders and which continues to shape China and how the rest of the world perceives the Chinese nation in the present'. 107 This collection represents a material manifestation of the ideological foundations of the Chinese state, increasingly relevant today as contemporary China, under Premier Xi Jinping turns away from economic and social reform towards the consolidation of a Mao-style autocracy: '…the Cultural Revolution casts a shadow upon contemporary Chinese politics, society and culture [it remains a difficult period of history to discuss openly in China], to which the West … [is so economically and imaginatively] tied … this is our history too'. 108…”

“…18 My research has shown that people are attracted to the aesthetic of Maoist visual culture, but do not necessarily have a complete understanding of the context in which these images were produced. 19 I advocate for an approach to the interpretation of this material beyond mere aesthetics, considering both the social and ideological meaning of the material in tandem with its visual appeal within a framework of more nuanced analyses of the Cultural Revolution and Maoist period. This challenges and deconstructs the grand narratives that have characterised both scholarly analyses and pop cultural interpretations of this period of Chinese history.…”