I found thisages ago, and it’s been sitting on my desktop waiting for me to do something with it. I think the author cogently expresses the ethical grey-area into which communist propaganda (as kitsch, or otherwise) falls. Not to mention the fear of one’s intention by displaying this material being misinterpreted. I enjoyed reading the comments best. Particularly those suggesting that the poster of Mao be modified in a Duchamp kind of style. Oh, the irony. 
One of the reasons why I’ve been so quiet recently, is because I’ve been trying, desperately, to get some of this thesis written up. And, in brilliant timing, I came across the following book, thanks to Mary’s recommendation:
What a godsend! It’s absolutely brilliant (clearly all the reviewers on Amazon think so too!). Thanks to Prof. Dunleavy I now have the words to describe the methodological thrust of my written-up research; my thesis going to take an analytic, plus descriptive approach. To fully appreciate what that means, you’ll have to read the book. But, suffice to say, it’s going to take a little bit of work to turn my current purely descriptive chapters into something a little more ‘analytic’.
Actually,the plan for my thesis has always been to start with case studies and open out in a broader narrative, weaving in some theory and historical stuff - I just didn’t know how I was going to achieve it. But this book really does give clear advice about how to ‘author’ a thesis to best show off your original research. I think it could, over the next six months or so, become my bible!
The BM is stealing my ideas!!! ;)
Seriously, could be an absolutely fascinating exhibition if it comes off.
I’ve been neglecting this blog recently. Mainly because my final year has crept up on me, and the ensuing panic has caused me to devote a little more time to actually writing-up my damn thesis! But I have been watching The Red Detachment of Women on DVD (in two sittings - the casts’ endless ‘determined fists’ get a little wearing after a while!).
Well, I can see why this and the other revolutionary operas were so appealing to audiences. I know very little about ballet, but the performance of the cast is clearly dazzling (unsurprising given the harsh regime meted out by studios - read Anchee Min’s Red Azalea for more details), the score is rousing and colours vivid (and of course, red predominates). Added to that is the fact that there would have been very little ‘entertainment’ available during the Cultural Revolution, making the opportunity to see a film - regardless of its propagandist content - a real treat.
The story is a fairly formulaic, gender-role reversed take on good vs. evil; girl escapes from dastardly landlord, hero saves girl, girl joins the Red Army (okay, that’s not in the vein of most classic stories!), girl leads her detachment into battle, hero is injured but survives only to be captured by evil landlord, girl single-handedly does for evil landlord and saves the hero, the masses are liberated by the victorious Red Army, etc, etc,. Added to that is the propagandist sub-plot, i.e. join the Red Army, it’ll be fantastic. You’ll have a great time (much like the adverts for the forces currently shown on TV!), plenty to eat and the locals will think you’re great! Plus, if you’re a woman, you’ll get to wear a natty knee-length shorts with leg warmers combo (a sartorial choice which had no - as far as I am aware - basis in reality). A half-arsed attempt at ’sexing’ up the film to appeal to the masses, perhaps? Seems a rather bizarre decision for the costume designers to take, given that they were working in the midst of the Cultural Revolution, with its emphasis on androgyny and desexualisation of women. Still, having said that, cultural supremo, Jiang Qing, was a rather peculiar woman herself.
Of course, Mao’s famous proclamation that ‘women hold up half of the sky’ is the basis for this tale, and - perhaps - for the reversal of roles between the male and female heroes. In many ways it is a celebration of women; overcoming the barriers, restrictions and mistreatment imposed upon by men (some men - not their enlightened male comrades in the Red Army, of course).
Another interesting aspect of the film I’ve noted, refers back to Bright Sheng’s comments in the radio interview I’ve blogged about before. The strange mixing of traditional and Western elements in the production of these revolutionary ballets, which seems at odds with the ethos behind the diktats imposed on practitioners working in other creative fields. The influence of Western ballet is unmistakable here, as is the only slight adaptation (the inclusion of occasional ‘bursts’ from traditional Chinese instruments) of Western classical music for the score.
Anyway, back to the film itself… I’m not certain how available this, and the other revolutionary operas are in Britain. This copy came from China. Thankfully, this is where YouTube, as a research tool, excels
The heroine escapes and hides in the forest from the landlord’s henchmen:
After suffering a brutal beating at the hands of the landlord’s henchmen, the heroine stumbles upon a detachment of the army…
An ensemble piece which follows the detachment’s assault on the landlord’s compound:
Enjoy!
Oh, and finally, I should apologise for the rather strange appearance of Cogs and Wheels at the moment. I’m working on a re-design. 
A Soviet Poster A Day is a great little blog; simple, yet offers a very effective way of presenting propaganda posters to external and non-specialist audience. In particular I concur with the comments in the introduction, that…
…every Soviet Poster has a historical reference essential for understanding the layers of meanings it carries through time.
Which is, of course, so true for propaganda posters and political art more widely, i.e. that we can appreciate these posters as examples of graphic design, but to really understand them, as their original audience would have done, we need also to consider them as historical documents, and have access to contextualising information (be it interpretive, or historical text; film; oral history recordings, etc). We need to be able to decipher the symbolism, ‘get’ the cultural or political references, ‘read’ the slogan. Something exhibition designers could do well to remember!
I’ve decided it is about time I tackled this blinking thesis. So, in an attempt to promote an appropriate frame of mind, this afternoon I have been listening to The East is Red. Loud, ambitious and unstintingly bombastic, not to mention really quite barmy, it’s done the trick. I managed to brain storm section 2 of my thesis. Hurrah for choirs and cymbals and China for bringing forth a Mao Zedong (the latter said with a tinge of irony, of course)! You can download the whole shebang - all two hours worth - from emusic.
I’m writing a couple of book reviews at the moment. They’re sapping ALL my creative strength. Until normal transmission resumes, here’s an interlude…
(Found here)
Not much to report. I am still not back into a ‘Leicester’ routine. To get me back to work, therefore, I have decided to work my way through the intimidating pile of filing and reading I’ve accumulated over the last year and do a couple of book reviews. Then, after all that, I will try and get back to some writing. My plan is to write up a section (not a chapter!) every three months or so, and then I’ll spend the last six months of my registration putting them together to form an overall narrative and, thus, identifying any gaps in my research. Here’s hoping!
But, my top priority is to stop stressing about it all. To relax, to enjoy the process again. Of course, this means I might end up taking a little longer to complete, but - quite honestly - my mental health is more important! Time to start being a little kinder to myself methinks.
