Mao’s policies towards art and culture

By Gabriele Magnaghi

"Our nation will never more be insulted, we

have stood up." These were Chairman Mao's words in his

opening address to the First General Assembly of the People's Political Consultative Conference.

… “Our arts have traditionally been patriotic ”…

The Great Theme of Patriotism

As Mao Zedong has said in his On New Democracy: “In the long history of feudal

society, the Chinese people created a brilliant ancient culture. Therefore, to re-evaluate our ancient culture, to sift the feudal rubbish with which it is cluttered and absorb its rich democratic content is a necessary task for the development of our new national culture and for the elevation of our national self-confidence.”

The Great National Art Tradition

Criticism and Self-criticism, Combat Liberalism and Vulgarity

We must overcome both routine methods and vulgarity in the leadership given to literary and artistic work

"Routine" leadership is thoughtless leadership

“We must overcome all these bad styles of work, and the main method to adopt is criticism and self-criticism.”

Therefore Mao wanted to change his ideals

the successful we can mention are : The White-haired Girl, The Steeled Fighters, Shangjao Concentration Camp, Daughters and Sons, The Victory of the Inner Mongolian People, Unite! Fight for the New Day! These productions have already gained for the people's

cinema the love of the broad masses of the people and has begun to create a national art style of the worker and peasant masses.

the most effective art form enjoying the largest audience.

China’s cinema

Art as a political tool

During the Cultural Revolution, under Madame Mao’s guidance, China re-defined art as a political tool.

She reinvented the Beijing Opera and Ballet dance forms to include class struggle themes.

This ballet play poster depicts a scene from the Revolutionary Ballet, The Red Army Detachments. The headline of the poster says “Only by saving the entire human race can the proletarian class free itself.”

LiteratureDuring the Cultural

Revolution, almost all forms of creative literature were made illegal.

All western books were banned and destroyed, and no one was able to publish any literature unless it supported the Communist National Party.

Mao Tse-tung published many works himself, and almost everyone in China was forced to carry around a book of his quotations known as the “Little Red Book.”

At one point in China calligraphy had been considered the greatest form of art above painting and dancing.

The Chinese language consists of 6000-7000 characters, each with an intricate design.

During the Cultural Revolution, all forms of art, calligraphy, painting, dancing, and singing, were reduced to those that supported the Communist National Party.

Art

“Let the new Socialist Performing Arts conquer every stage.”

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Emulation Campaigns

1962 Lei Feng appeared, orphaned by brutal landlords and Japanese aggression and saved by communist forces, had developed a profound love for his fellow proletarians

Socialist heroes for the people to emulate

Lei Feng

Lei Feng (18 December 1940 – 15 August 1962) was a soldier of the People's Liberation Army of China. After his death, Lei was characterized as a selfless and modest person who was devoted to the Communist Party, Chairman Mao Zedong, and the people of China.

Cultural Revolution: Culture and Film

Jiang Qing (江青 ) emerges through the cultural domain to assert herself politically

Prescribed aesthetics promoted an extreme version of socialist realism dominated by the “two unities” and the “three prominences”

Two unities: socialist realism and revolutionary romanticism

Three prominences: give prominence to the positive characters, the heroes, and the principal hero

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