Wang Guangyi’s “Political Pop”
Spring 2021
For the Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art Course at Arizona State University
Exhibition Proposal
Title: Wang Guangyi’s “Political Pop”
Dates: July 1, 2021 – January 4, 2022
Proposal:
As both combining and juxtaposing Chinese reality and urban life with that of Western capitalism, Wang Guangyi’s “Political Pop” paintings look back at the cultural revolution, at the present with Deng Xiaoping’s ‘Opening and Reform’, and at the future of Chinese capitalism influenced by Western society and the Chinese Communist Party.
Starting in the 1990s, Wang, along with other artists, created a new style of art called “Political Pop”, which was and still is influenced by Western “Pop” artists such as Andy Warhol and Richard Hamilton. However, “Political Pop” artists, such as Wang, utilized imagery from the Cultural Revolution and Western capitalism in their own styles. As for Wang, his style of “Political Pop” painting is reminiscent of propaganda posters during the Cultural Revolution. Both Wang’s paintings and propaganda posters of the Cultural Revolution are set in urban China, as propaganda posters were meant to be seen by everyone on the streets and Wang’s paintings have a flattened image covered in randomly placed phone numbers, which are commonly seen on walls all over urban China. With influences from Western “Pop” art, the Cultural Revolution and Western Capitalism, Wang’s “Political Pop” paintings became popular among Chinese and Western society. Even into the 21st century, Wang’s “Political Pop” art has been used with many Western brands including Coca-Cola, Chanel, Time Magazine, Cartier, Prada, Swatch, and more.
This exhibition will feature Wang Guangyi’s “Political Pop” paintings from 1990 to the present and reveal the similarities and differences they share with propaganda posters of the Cultural Revolution. This includes imagery, colors, realistic or cartoonist, and other elements seen between Wang’s paintings and propaganda posters. Most of the work shown will be those created by Wang Guangyi, with supplementary works from the Cultural Revolution.
Included Works: Wang Guangyi
Supplementary Works: Cultural Revolution Propaganda
Labels
Great Criticism Series: Coca-Cola
Wang Guangyi (b. 1957)
China, 1993
Oil and Acrylic on Canvas
79 x 79 in (200 x 200 cm)
Arizona State University Gallery
ASU.5973.02
Red, yellow, black, and white are typical colors used for propaganda prints during China’s Cultural Revolution. This is further represented by the imagery of Cultural Revolutionary workers and soldiers, both male and female, in a fighting stance, while holding Mao Zedong’s “Red Book”. What doesn’t fit with this Cultural Revolutionary image is the Western brand “Coca-Cola”. This presents an opposing ideology or rather a juxtaposition of Chinese Communism and Western Capitalism, which is typical of Chinese “Political Pop” art found starting in the 1990s. Wang Guangyi takes this a step further by covering this painting in phone numbers typically seen on the street walls all over urban China. This only adds to the imagined placement of this painting being seen as a poster by the public on the streets of China, similar to the propaganda art seen about two to three decades earlier.
“Political Pop” art of China is just this, a juxtaposition of the ideals of the Cultural Revolution and the changes that have occurred due to the influences of Western Capitalists. Wang Guangyi’s “Great Criticism Series”, which has spanned almost two decades, is iconic of these two challenging ideologies.
Great Criticism Series: Prada
Wang Guangyi (b. 1957)
China, 2003
Oil and Acrylic on Canvas
79 x 79 in (200 x 200 cm)
Arizona State University Gallery
ASU.5982.17
The image of children alongside an elder reading through Mao Zedong’s “Red Book” while smiling and pointing towards the future is typical of propaganda art during China’s Cultural Revolution. It is also possible to assume that the bandanas or neckties they wear around their necks, could be those worn by the “Red Guards” of the Cultural Revolution. Though it is hard to tell with just the outline and no definitive coloring. Much like other paintings in this series, this painting is covered in phones typically seen all over the street walls of urban China. And all of this in juxtaposition with the “Prada” branding of the Western world, is typical of Wang Guangyi’s “Great Criticism Series” and the “Political Pop” art that started in the 1990s. Even the bold word of “NO” seen above the heads of the figures could be a stance against some of the ideals that were so prominent during the Cultural Revolution, further adding to this juxtaposition.
“Political Pop” art of China is just this, a juxtaposition of the ideals of the Cultural Revolution and the changes that have occurred due to the influences of Western Capitalists. Wang Guangyi’s “Great Criticism Series”, which has spanned almost two decades, is iconic of these two challenging ideologies.
Great Criticism Series: Art
Wang Guangyi (b. 1957)
China, 2006
Oil and Acrylic on Canvas
158 x 79 in (400 x 200 cm), 118.5 x 79 in (300 x 200 cm),
79 x 79 in (200 x 200 cm), 39.5 x 79 in (100 x 200 cm)
Arizona State University Gallery
ASU.5979.12
This series of paintings within Wang Guangyi’s “Great Criticism Series”, challenges the ideals of China’s Cultural Revolution with that of the impact of art. Utilizing imagery, which is typical of propaganda prints of the Cultural Revolution, each painting in this sub-series features a different side of the control placed on art of Communist China during the Cultural Revolution, politics, people, news, and power. Politics is represented with soldiers, both male and female. People is represented with one of China’s leaders and the people of China surrounding him as they listen to what he has to say. News is represented with the image of workers and revolutionaries who go forth and spread the word of the Cultural Revolution. Power is represented with the images of strength, Mao Zedong’s “Red Book”, and planning documents.
This imagery, unlike other paintings in Wang’s “Great Criticism Series”, does not feature a Western Capitalist brand. Instead, this sub-series of paintings, though similar in style to his other paintings in this series, does not at first appear to have any juxtaposition, rather these paintings so the connection between art and politics, people, news, and power. However, much like Wang’s other paintings in his “Great Criticism Series”, these paintings are covered with phone numbers typically seen all over the street walls of urban China, further representing their imagined placement within China.
Advancing Through the Storm in the Footstep of Chairman Mao
Shen Yaoyi (b. 1943)
China, 1966
Woodblock Print
29.1 x 52.4 in (74 x 133 cm)
Arizona State University Gallery
ASU.5983.07
With red being the bold and dominant color as a significant symbol of China and Mao Zedong’s “Red Book”, this propaganda print done by Shen Yaoyi during the beginning of the Cultural Revolution is a typical representation of propaganda art during this period. As the great leader of the Cultural Revolution, Mao Zedong stands tall, proud, and larger than the rest has he wears the armband of the “Red Guard”. Behind him follows the people of China, or those that spread and fought for the ideals of the new China, the “Red Guard”, as they wear red armbands, and carry Mao’s “Red Book” and Red flags. This iconic imagery of Mao is seen in almost every, if not all propaganda prints during China’s Cultural Revolution that lasted from 1966 – 1976.
Being one of the most iconic artists during the Cultural Revolution, She Yaoyi created a few different prints and paintings for Communist China. During this time, art, and much of China’s culture, was control or regulated by the Communist Party of China. This meant that artists, like Shen could only show certain themes and styles, and were banned from showing anything that went against the ideals of the Communist Party.
Gallery Installation Plan
