Media and Public Relations Field Study at Shanghai Propaganda Art Center

2015/3/27 10:16:05

As part of their study on mass media and public relations students from the Media and Public Relations in China visited the Shanghai Propaganda Art Center in Xuhui District earlier this month. The center has a rich collection of twentieth century mass prints covering a wide variety of subject matter. From early 1920s and 30s calendar girls to political posters from the early1990s, the private collection covers many of the cultural and political movements from more than 50 years of Chinese mass media. Founded in 2002, the center boasts a collection of more than 6000 pieces from the private collection of Yang Peiming. Yang, concerned that the fragile pieces of Chinese history would be forgotten, began collection the in 1995 when the posters were decommissioned.

For the course, the collection was used as a study in how political messages and public support for policies was shaped by an art form nearly unique to the modern day.  Dr. Zheng Hua, an expert in modern Chinese political history and mass communication, provided a detailed analysis and explanation of the subtleties and meaning of many of the posters. Each poster is significant not only for its artistic value, but as a historical artifact for examining the Chinese national zeitgeist year over year is of particular importance.

While the posters are commissioned pieces of state sponsored art, individual artists were allowed a wide variety of artistic freedom to illustrate a particular point or signal a new campaign. Each poster covers a significant event or issue facing the Chinese people and the Chinese state, from the scientific advancement to the Korean War the posters are a window into the minds of the people and the state at the time using symbolism and colorful illustrations.

Even though it was his first time at the center, first year Chinese Political Economy MA candidate, Kris Duthu was positively surprised by the size of the private poster collection ranging from the start of PRC to modern day China, adding that he: “really enjoyed the history lesson through powerful posters and felt this visit was worthwhile, a great hands on approach to learning and providing significant understanding of the use of posters.”