I am fascinated by the Chinese ability to create very moving propaganda posters (both positive and negative). The use of color, slogans, and emotion are, I believe unprecenedted in World History. Several times a semester my students create propaganda posters and I use the book "Chinese Propaganda Posters" to illustrate what a good poster does. Students are fascinated by the rosy-cheeked people who are always happy, well-fed, and in simple but always clean clothes. A perfect example of "Perception is reality."
I do alot of the same with propaganda posters, but I have never used a chinese one. I usualy use old WWII poster that I how images of or, US posters during the war. Is there a particular poster you think is the most effective in proving your point?
I have to comment on AJ's fondness for the Chinese posters. I find the monumental perspective so common among the posters I have seen, as well as the airbrushed idealization of characters, to enforce a conformity that I find alarming in import. Interesting to look at, but they do make me uncomfortable; they make me feel that daring to turn away from the exhortations there will lead straight to "re-education". =:o I guess that does make them effective!
edited by mmukai on 3/5/2011
This site is a great resource for viewing Chinese propaganda posters over the years:
http://chineseposters.net/gallery/
The depiction of the worker, the proletariat, as a muscular hero has a lot of appeal. Their muscular physique was acquired through, well, working, unlike our muscular bodybuilders who achieved their physique in a gym (leisure). There are similar depictions in Soviet propaganda posters. An interesting comparison is the famous American "We Can Do It" poster often referred to as Rosie the Riveter.
Good Manzano compare and contrast opportunity here for looking at both 20th century Communist Propaganda posters and 18th century American Revolution illustrations. Students could identify the targeted audiences and desired responses to looking at these images. Perception Is Reality would actually make for a good theme for a lesson on this. Students could then be asked to create their own posters illustrations. A good standard illustration used in fifth grade is Paul Revere's engraving of the Boston Massacre and the quick spreading of this image throughout the colonies due to Franklin's efficient postal service throughout the colonies. Nice compare and contrast opportunity here between two very different Revolutions using propaganda imagery
I teach art and one of my projects is to create a poster with an emphasis on a social or political issue. I have never used any Chinese propaganda posters but you have just giving me a good idea to design a new lesson. Thank you AJ
I will be suing propaganda poster when we get tot he unit on the Civil War, and I will make connections as to way other countries like China use them. If any one has any suggetions or recommendations , I will greatly appreciate it.
I will have my students create a propaganda poster to recruit soldiers for the Civil War, targeting Chinese and African Americans to join the U.S. Army. Students will have had knowledge of Chinese soldiers fighting int he Civil War, after reading the article by Heaver.
Please identify particular posters and the topics you might address with them. Here's one to get you thinking:
This one is about learning from Lei Feng, a figure heralded by Mao in 1963. (See: http://chineseposters.net/gallery/e15-165.php ). Lei Feng is still with us. I snapped a picture in Chengdu of a poster featuring him two weeks ago. Other examples of Lei Feng posters are available at the same site: http://chineseposters.net/gallery/theme-15.php. Here's an essay about Lei Feng's legend: http://www.newyorker.com/news/evan-osnos/fact-checking-a-chinese-hero.
This session we had the opportunity to see several images of Chinese Propaganda and it was amazing. I think that Mao Zedong had great ideas of how to deliver his ideas to the people, in an easy and simple way, using images that describe important aspects of progress of the nation by the three main groups of people, peasants, soldiers and farmers, working all together .
I too find the Chinese propaganda posters quite fascinating. I always loved all the U.S. and popular art used and derived from World War II posters, so it's quite refreshing discovering more posters and art from a different country and perspective. This website is quite useful and has a wide selection of Chinese propaganda posters. The topics range from heroes and villains, to environment, to legal knowledge or Mao Zedong.
http://www.iisg.nl/landsberger/