Chinese Posters: Art from the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution [Paperback]

Lincoln Cushing (Author), Ann Tompkins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 27, 2007

The Cultural Revolution in China produced thousands of powerful social and political posters exhorting the Chinese people in a sweeping transformation of Chinese society. These brilliantly colorful images of cultural celebration, industrial development, agricultural production, and revolutionary heroes were displayed in homes and public spaces across the country. Chinese Posters collects more than 150 of the most striking of these posters and offers background on their social and political context and production. An essay by Ann Tompkins provides a personal account of living in Beijing during the Cultural Revolution.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lincoln Cushing is the author of Revolución: Cuban Poster Art. He lives in Berkeley, California.

Ann Tompkins lived and worked in Beijing during the Cultural Revolution. She lives in Northern California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811859460
• ISBN-13: 978-0811859462
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #108,248 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #95 in Books > Arts & Photography > Schools, Periods & Styles > Contemporary Art

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Happy and hopeful scenes of a revolution, August 14, 2008

By 

Zack Davisson "japanreviewed" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chinese Posters: Art from the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (Paperback)

Say what you want about oppressive regimes, they always have the best propaganda. Art, when made to serve the purpose of convincing a population that what is going on around them is actually great and wonderful even though they are starving, produces something eerily inspiring, something that taps into a subconscious desire to believe in those in power.

This is the artwork in "Chinese Posters: Art from the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution". These are images of a bright future, where the land is abundant and serves the will of the people, where industry is clean and progressive, bringing fair income to everyone, where everyone pulls their weight with a smile and Chairman Mao shines light on us all. The art here is joyful, optimistic and hopeful. It makes you feel good to look at it. It makes you feel bad knowing that this optimistic, hopeful future never materialized, and was followed by starvation and oppression.

But this is so much more than just a picture book. The author, Ann Tompkins collected these posters while living in China during the Cultural Revolution, a full participant in Mao's glorious dream who wanted to live and work alongside the people forging this Brave New World. Reading her introduction is a bit shocking. I expected a historical critique on the nature of propaganda, not the flip side of the coin, someone who believes in the dream and remains inspired by the message.

And through her eyes, I saw these posters from a different perspective. How progressive, how revolutionary they were at the time. Here were positive images of women working in factories, firing guns and conducting scientific experiments during a time when they were expected to be house wives and mothers. Here were glorious scenes of all human beings struggling together, separated not by race, religion or gender, but bound by the brotherhood of the proletariat. The fact that it failed: is it the fault of the dream or the dreamers? This is the kind of art that makes you ask those questions.

As both an art book and a history book, "Chinese Posters" succeeds beautifully. I enjoyed it much more than I was expecting to, especially after reading the introductions and then looking at the posters in a whole new light.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An insight into Chinese propaganda, February 28, 2010

By 

Craig J. Brain "morbius38" (Canberra, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chinese Posters: Art from the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (Paperback)

This was a fascinating book, and much like David Heather's volume on North Korean propaganda provides an insight into the idealized world of propaganda from a totalitarian government's perspective. The artwork is beautiful, with visions of what a Communist government's ideal Chinese society would look like - strong, committed, loyal and modern with many noble-looking stereotypes ranging from construction workers to soldiers and even peasants. A young Chairman Mao is often depicted in these pictures along with lots of modern technology and happy-looking people.
Many of these posters were published at a time when mass communication was far less effective than now, and the internet was far less widespread in China. For many people, these images of a better China, led by a strong leader towards prosperity would have been very appealing. This book has many examples and is a terrific read.

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book at a great price!, November 17, 2011

By 

Phily - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Chinese Posters: Art from the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book! These posters brought my mind back to the time when I was a little boy in China. It is great to have this poster book at home to remind me the past history. Thanks again for this wonderful collection in such a great price!