Abstract

This 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 30 full colour and as many black-and-white reproductions of posters from the University of Westminster collection, an eminent group of scholars explores the discursive power of visual artforms in Chinese public life. The contributors provide an interdisciplinary analysis of political art produced for a Chinese audience. At the same time, they acknowledge the importance of subjectivity in elucidating important cultural facets of a significant revolutionary period. The book was one of the first to explore the historical and aesthetic significance of the posters of that period, and is now a staple text of the sub-field.