‘마오 Mao’ 이미지와 포스트모더니즘/포스트사회주의 -1990년대 신생대 작가를 중심으로

Abstract

The aim of this article is to search for the consumption of Maozedong Image in contemporary China since 1990 and its cultural context. The pictures which bring about Mao Image basically imitate fine arts which were produced by Mao’s political philosophy during his era. However, most of the artists who are reproducing Mao Image are just superficial consumers of hero image of Mao rather than memorizer of Mao’s political power and culture, because they did not experience the Mao’s era. The art works of post-Mao is called ‘Political Pop’ where we can find three types of quotations of Mao’ portrait. First type of ‘Political Pop’ uses Mao’s portrait as original to cast doubts to Mao’s heroism. Heroism of Mao, being described as the greatest hero of all Labor Army, is mocked by the original painting being laid out on a very different background. Heroism of low-profile Labor Army, being deployed side by side with Western name brands, becomes post-modern ‘public’ rather than ‘people’ of socialism. Second type is making fun of the forms driven by cultural policy of Mao era. For example, paintings of calendars, stamps or armband are quoted in the art works of ‘Political Pop’. The colors which was selected as an optimistic image making by Mao and folklore-style forms are described as a low-grade or inferior stuff, making them ‘the others’ to contemporary Chinese. Third type is all against Mao’s cultural policy. Sometimes Mao is disappeared in the paintings of Mao. Sometimes Mao is expressed as an ordinary person not as a hero. Mao, being equal to children or being disappeared, becomes mockery which make Mao Image inferior most. In general, these art works convey following cultural implications to contemporarian. First, artists reproducing Mao Image are characterized as post-Maoism since they are against the politics-oriented arts during Mao authority. They laugh at the culture of Mao by using or by neglecting completely those works which dominated in the Mao era. Second, Reproducing Mao Image is two-folded. It reminds of memory of Mao on the one hand, It rejects memory of Mao on the other hand. Mao Image is by accident being re-shaped by people who are eager to buy and sell them. It gives birth to the context of public culture and capitalistic consumption which appears in the post-socialism society. Third, the context of this public culture is peculiar in that it does not belong to either post-socialism or post-modernism. The thing is China’s post-socialism is making shape under the acquiescence of the authority. The distribution of Mao Image doesn’t allow us to certify the post-modern phenomenon in China. This is because Chinese government still remembers and needs Mao. However, Mao Image is being consumed by public who do not need Mao any more. This is the transition of Chinese post-socialism.