As said in the introduction, it seems difficult to speak about Chinese revolutionary art as a part of Chinese cultural heritage as to be a cultural heritage, it has to be assumed by Chinese people as something binding them altogether. But today Mao’s period is kind of eclipsed from Chinese history, largely by the ancient history.
Can we speak about a “denial” from Chinese people about that period of history? Anyway, if confirmed, this rejection is even more true considering art, especially as the Cultural Revolution is associated to art and is the most rejected period.
What is sure is that this period bears a real ambiguity as the ideology inherited from Mao’s government of China is still alive even if it has undergone major modernizations, as corroborate the remaining presence of Mao’s portrait on Tiananmen Square.
It may take time to see the revolutionary heritage integrated in the global Chinese cultural heritage, consciously or not, and it is not even sure it will happen a day as this period could be definitely rejected by Chinese period?
Nevertheless, a recent exhibition about Chinese revolutionary art took place in New York, marking the beginning of the recognition of the art production from this period. Hence we can think that this integration in Chinese cultural heritage can be facilitated by the western vision on this heritage.
Here is a quote from the official introduction of the exhibition: “Until now, little effort has been made to take account of this period, during which art and politics were so closely intertwined. Artworks and materials produced during the Cultural Revolution are rarely exhibited in China and few original artworks from the period survive. This exhibition marks a first attempt, which we hope will be the start of many, to examine these artistic developments within an historical framework that prompts a discussion of their impact on Chinese culture today.”
After reading this extract we wondered about the relation between art and politics, which appears to be so problematic during the Mao’s period. Is this connection a modern phenomenon? Is it specific to China at this period?
Our opinion is that the link between art and politics is not a modern phenomenon. Indeed, paintings, theatre plays or music songs have long been the result of orders from wealthy families and powerful kings (see examples). The latest have even been the greatest art patron. So art figures and spirit were de facto not “free” and strongly correlated to political power.
A parallel can be drawn as during Mao’s era, artists were encouraged to create art that reflected the revolutionary spirit of the time.
Painted by Hyacinthe Rigaud in 1701, this famous portrait of Louis XIV hangs today in the Louvre, in Paris.
The Arnolfini marriage by Van Eycke, 1434
To conclude on this part, we can say that Chinese people seem afraid of this heritage and don’t assume it, which is a shame, as art and propaganda have often been close, what does not prevent art to be real art.
Can we speak about a “denial” from Chinese people about that period of history? Anyway, if confirmed, this rejection is even more true considering art, especially as the Cultural Revolution is associated to art and is the most rejected period.
What is sure is that this period bears a real ambiguity as the ideology inherited from Mao’s government of China is still alive even if it has undergone major modernizations, as corroborate the remaining presence of Mao’s portrait on Tiananmen Square.
It may take time to see the revolutionary heritage integrated in the global Chinese cultural heritage, consciously or not, and it is not even sure it will happen a day as this period could be definitely rejected by Chinese period?
Nevertheless, a recent exhibition about Chinese revolutionary art took place in New York, marking the beginning of the recognition of the art production from this period. Hence we can think that this integration in Chinese cultural heritage can be facilitated by the western vision on this heritage.
Here is a quote from the official introduction of the exhibition: “Until now, little effort has been made to take account of this period, during which art and politics were so closely intertwined. Artworks and materials produced during the Cultural Revolution are rarely exhibited in China and few original artworks from the period survive. This exhibition marks a first attempt, which we hope will be the start of many, to examine these artistic developments within an historical framework that prompts a discussion of their impact on Chinese culture today.”
After reading this extract we wondered about the relation between art and politics, which appears to be so problematic during the Mao’s period. Is this connection a modern phenomenon? Is it specific to China at this period?
Our opinion is that the link between art and politics is not a modern phenomenon. Indeed, paintings, theatre plays or music songs have long been the result of orders from wealthy families and powerful kings (see examples). The latest have even been the greatest art patron. So art figures and spirit were de facto not “free” and strongly correlated to political power.
A parallel can be drawn as during Mao’s era, artists were encouraged to create art that reflected the revolutionary spirit of the time.
Painted by Hyacinthe Rigaud in 1701, this famous portrait of Louis XIV hangs today in the Louvre, in Paris.
The Arnolfini marriage by Van Eycke, 1434
To conclude on this part, we can say that Chinese people seem afraid of this heritage and don’t assume it, which is a shame, as art and propaganda have often been close, what does not prevent art to be real art.
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