可视化的未来(Visualizing the Future)

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traditionally,chinesepoliticalculturehasusedtheartstopropagateidealsofcorrectbehaviorandthought.thispracticedidnotstopwiththeestablishmentofthepeople'srepublicofchinain1949.onthecontrary,propagandaartcontinuedtobeseenasoneofthemajormeanstoexplainandillustratethe'correct'policiesofthemomentandthemunistparty'svisionsofthefuture.thus,itreinforcedthemessagespassedonbyothermediasuchasnewspapers,filmandradiobroadcasting.

throughitspletecontrolofboththeartistsandthepublishingsector,thepwasabletoforceitsinterpretationofrealityandaestheticsonthepopulation.asopposedtootherimagesthatwereusedtraditionallytodecoratethehomewith,propagandacametodominatesocietyandperatedthelowestlevelsofsocialanizationandcohabitation:themulti-coloredposterscouldbeseenhangingonwallsinpeople'shousesanddormitories.inasocietywherenotmuchelsewasavailable,theirpositionandvisualcontentappealedtothespectators,whiletheirpoliticalmessagewaspassedoninanalmostsubconsciousmanner.chinesepropagandaartmadeextensiveuseofsocialistrealism,notonlytoshow'lifeasitreallyis,'butalso'lifeasitoughttobe,'toinstructtheviewersintherevolutionarydevelopmenttakingplace'inthespiritofsocialism.'thismadechinesepropagandaartatypeofartisticfaction,amixtureoffactandfiction,stressingthepositiveandpaperingoveranythingnegative.

particularlyinthe1950sand1960s,intheeraofmassmovementssuchasthegreatleapforwardandtheculturalrevolution,thepostersweredominatedbyhyper-realistic,larger-than-lifepeasants,soldiersandworkersindynamicandoftenaggressiveposes,proclaimingtheuniversalapplicabilityofmaozedongthought,rootingouttraitorsandspies,strugglingforthevictoryofsocialism,achievingsuessesinindustryandagriculture,ordefendingthenation.inordertoportrayeverysubjectasahero,thephysicaldistinctionbetweenmaleandfemalebodiesoftendisappeared,leadingtofigureswithstandardbodies,includingabsurdlybighandsandfeet,withslightlydifferent,butusuallystereotypedheads.

thedeclineinposterpropagandastartedintheearly1980s.underdengxiaoping,whosueededhuaguofengwhosueededmaoatthehelmoftheprc,theeconomicrehabilitationofchinabecamethep’smainconsideration.moreover,chinaopeneditselftothewest.now,postershadtobedesignedtocreatepublicsupportforthenewpoliciesthatmadeupthereformpackage.thishadenormousconsequencesforpropaganda.thethemesbecamelessheroicandmilitant,andmoreimpressionistic,whileboldcolourswerereplacedwithmoresubduedones.thepeopledidnolongerhavetostruggleagainstclassenemies,butwereurgedtoadoptmoreculturedandeducatedlifestyles.designtechniquesborrowedfromwesternadvertisingwereemployedagainfrequently.theuseofscience-fictionimages,asabackdropforthemessagesofeconomicdevelopment,gavethepostersatrulyutopianquality.strugglewasnolongerthethemepropagated,andthepeoplewereurgedtobemorecareful,civilized,culturedandcourteousinstead.

inthereformera,postershavelosttheircredibilityandappeal,andincreasinglyareconsideredtobeold-fashioned.afterthetian'anmenincidentof1989,propagandaposterswereproducedthatstressedobedienceandotherqualitiesthatnolongercorrespondedwiththeharshrealityofmassunemployment,cut-throatpetition,andincreasinginequality.yet,theycontinuetobepublished,forexampleforspecialeventssuchasthehongkonghandoverof1997,thefiftiethanniversaryofthefoundingoftheprc,andtheresumptionofsovereigntyovermacao,bothin1999.peoplewhobeforeboughtpostersnowseethenasold-fashioned,ortootaintedbytheirearlierpoliticalusage,eventhoughtheirsubjectmatterhasbeenbroughtinlinewithtopicsthatareconsideredtobemoreintunewiththerapidlychangingtimes,socialcircumstances,andpopulartaste.itshouldbenowonderthattheirnumbersandthesizeoftheireditionshavedecreaseddramatically,ashasthenumberofchinesebuyingthem.anotherindicationofchangingnotionsofartisticandaestheticpermissivenesswasthereemergenceof"calendargirl"-designs,suchastheonebelow.originallydesignedbyjinmeisheng,oneofthemastersofyuefenpai月份牌design,theshanghaipeople'sfineartspublishinghouseputitonthemarketin1989.

indeed,inasocietyinthethroesofrealizing"socialismwithchinesecharacteristics",whereassertivenessisincreasinglyvalued,thepeopleareconvincedtheycangainlittlebyfollowingtheofficialexamplesofself-sacrificepresentedbythegovernment.theroleofpostersasprovidersofinformationhasbeenstrenghtened.thesars-crisisof2003sawthepublicationofratherlargenumbersofposters,mostofthemcontainingcleareducationalinformationabouthowtoavoidcontamination,andwhattodooncecontaminationhadtakenplace.similarly,postersgivinginformationabouthiv/aidshaveappeared.