铁妇女和狡猾的夫人(Iron Women and Foxy Ladies)

theccphasbeenpronetolauditselfasthechampionofwomensliberation.rightfromthestart,however,theccp-revolutionariesseemedtohavehadadual,andevencontradictoryapproachtoquestionswherewomenwerepositionedintherevolutionaryprocess,andthishasinfluencedthewayinwhichwomenwererepresentedinpropagandaposters.ontheonehand,therewasthedemandfromthepartythatwomenweretobeshownintheirentireliberatedsplendor,asconsciousandactiveparticipantsinthegreatenterpriseofreconstructing(socialist)china.theliberationofthefemalehalfofthepopulationhadattractedalotofsupportfortheccp.variouspoliciestheccphadexperimentedwithhadbeencodifiedintolegislationaftercomingtopowerin1949.butintheeyesofmanywomenintellectualsatthetime,eventhesemeasureswerenotradicalenough.

old-fashionedartisticideasabouttherepresentationofwomenprovedtobetenacious.bytheearly20thcentury,arelativelywell-establishedvisualtraditionhadcomeintoexistencethattreatedwomenasobjectsthatcouldbeconsumedbythemalegaze.numerouscompanies,bothforeignandnative,hadsettledinthetreatyportsandtheforeignsettlementsalongtheeasternseaboard.theadvertisingagenciesthemanufacturersbroughtwiththempromotedtheuseandappreciationofwesternarttechniquesintheiradvertisements.theadvertisingpostersfeatureddelectableyoungwomen,beautifulactressesandpopularsingersincolorfulandtantalizingshanghaidresses(qipao),endorsingvariousproducts,rangingfromcigarettesandalcoholicbeveragestofabricsandpesticides.theadvertismentsoftenweredesignedbychineseartistssuchaslimubai,jinmeishengandjinxuechen,tocatertothespecificchinesesenseofaesthetics.mostofthemwerecalendars(yuefenpai)thatweregivenawayasfreepromotionalgiftsandhungupinhomesandoffices.thiscommercialprintedmatterbecameenormouslypopular,anditsinfluencespreadbeyondadvertisingtoothertypesofpublicationsanddesignpracticeingeneral,whereitbecamesynonymouswithmodernity.eventhoughthesematerialsturnedwomenintoobjectsthatservedbothcommercialandtitillatingpurposes,thegenreasawholenonethelesswasseenbymanyassupportiveofthedemandsfortheemancipationofwomen.insteadoftreatingfemalesasnon-entitiesasconfucianorthodoxyhadprescribed,thepostersnotmerelyshowedthem,butpresentedthemasgorgeouslydressed,professionalwomenthatradiatedanairofself-confidence.tomany,thesemodeng[modern]girlswereareflectionofwomenssearchforaseparateidentity.thesupportersofthecalendargirlsthusincludedmanyofthewomenwhothemselveswereactivelyinvolvedinthepoliticalstruggleforwomensliberation.

withthefoundingoftheprc,boththetheoryandpracticeofthechineseadvertisingindustryhadtochangecompletely.thedesignersofthecommercialcalendars,wellversedindesigntechniquesandabletovisualizeaproductinacommerciallyattractiveway,werequicklyco-optedandincorporatedinthevariousgovernmentandarmyorganizationsdevotedtotheproductionofpropagandaposters.buttheyandtheirworkscontinuedtoberegardedwithsuspicionbytherepresentativesofthenewrulingelite.andeventhoughtheofficialsfromtheculturalbureaucracythattookoverhadtoadmitthatthesedesignerscouldmakeratheracceptablenewnewyearpictures,atthesametimetheycouldnotrefrainfromallegationsthattheirworksstillweremarredbynumerouspoliticalshortcomings.whiletheseculturalauthoritiesinsistedthattheydidnothingmorethanpassonthecorrectproletarianviewpointsof(female)representativesofthemasses,theyusuallycomplainedthattheartistsstilllackedtheproperideologicalstandpoint.theyacknowlegedthatthedesignersdutifullyattemptedtofollowthenewrulesandregulationspertainingtotheartsbyproducingscenessetinindustryoragriculture.insomecases,theartistswereaccusedoftendingtodepictelegantmoderncitygirls,withhighlypatternedblousesandscarves,paleskinsandmanicuredhands,muchintheveinofthestarletswhohadbeenshownendorsingsoaporcigarettes.thesetimes,however,calledforthedepictionofpeasantorworkingwomentakingobviousprideintheirwork,butwhosefacesandhandshadbeenmarkedbyunrelentingsunshineandhardlabor.intheviewsofthelaboringmassesthattheartcriticsallegedlyhadconsulted,suchimageslackedverisimilitude:nobodyinthevillagesorfactorieslookedlikethesewomen.moreover,nowomandressedinthelatestfashionswasabletotakepartinhardphysicallaborwhilestilllookingasspicandspanasthepostermodelsdid.

whenlookingatthepracticeofdepictingwomenforpropagandapurposes,itissafetosaythattheprettygirlpicturescontinuedtodominatetheworldofthepropagandaposter,withtheexceptionoftheperiodswhenhighmaoismwasthenorm.wasthisdoneinanattempttomakethelattersmessagemorepalatabletothepopulation?orwasitsimplybecausesuchrepresentationscouldbereadasawayofdiscountingwomenasrevolutionarycontenders,asexpressionsofthewidelyheldbeliefthatwomenweremoreinterestedinmattersofclothingandphysicalappearancethanmen?whateverthereason,attractivefemaleformswereusedforpoliticalpropagandapurposesinamannerverysimilartocommercialadvertising,apracticethatalsohasbeennotedbychinesewriters.