Picturing Power in the People's Republic of China: Posters of the Cultural Revolution [Paperback]

Harriet Evans (Editor, Contributor), Stephanie Donald (Editor), Robert Benewick (Contributor), Xiaomei Chen (Contributor), Craig Clunas (Contributor), John Gittings (Contributor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0847695115 | ISBN-13: 978-0847695119 | Publication Date: August 31, 1999

This richly illustrated book provides an innovative reinterpretation of the Cultural Revolution through the medium of the poster_a major component of popular print culture in China. Using an array of full color and black-and-white reproductions of posters, an eminent group of scholars explores the discursive power of visual artforms in Chinese public life. They provide an interdisciplinary analysis of political art produced for a Chinese audience and acknowledge the importance of subjectivity in elucidating important cultural facets of the period. Readers interested in Chinese cultural or political history, popular culture, and art history will find this a unique and perceptive work.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Original and timely. A substantial contribution to the literature on the Cultural Revolution and on modern China in general. Treating the propaganda art of a totalitarian state as a serious component of culture is uncommon and very useful. An invaluablereference of visual images for scholars, students, and artists alike.... (Andrews, Julia F. )

Each chapter raises interesting points and presents avenues for further research. (The China Journal )

There is a wealth of historical detail on the production and subject matter of CCP poster art not found elsewhere, and each essay offers a careful argument grounded in a rich set of illustrations. Most importantly, attention to the more than fifty reproductions will evoke in most readers a greater range of emotional and intellectual reactions than conventional text-only material. As a result, Picturing Power not only imparts new information but also elicits--just as the editors hoped--previously unexplored associations that complicate, and therefore deepen, our understanding of the Mao years. (China Quarterly )

The book's breadth of coverage is excellent, and most chapters have copious footnotes providing access to the primary literature. (China Information )

By dispelling the stereotype of revolutionary art as mind-numbingly monotonous, this original book helps us rethink the Cultural Revolution as a partly 'aesthetic' process. The excellent scholarship and the evocative illustrations will make this book a very important resource for scholars and teachers of the Cultural Revolution. (Brownell, Susan )

Original and timely. A substantial contribution to the literature on the Cultural Revolution and on modern China in general. Treating the propaganda art of a totalitarian state as a serious component of culture is uncommon and very useful. An invaluable reference of visual images for scholars, students, and artists alike. (Andrews, Julia F. )

About the Author

Harriet Evans is senior lecturer in Chinese studies, Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster. Stephanie Donald is professor of Chinese media studies, University of Sydney.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (August 31, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847695115
• ISBN-13: 978-0847695119
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,930,540 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)