Natalia Rodriguez
Staff Writer
The American Museum of Ceramic Art’s exhibit “Fired in Revolution: Ceramics From the People’s Republic of China” showcases works created during China’s Cultural Revolution, between 1966 and 1976.
Some of the works feature artists’ names, while many of the pieces on display were made by unknown artists.
“It was really about illustrating a broader movement, rather than an individual’s work, or an individual’s contribution,” said Jamie Kwan, the exhibit’s curator.
During the Cultural Revolution Mao Zedong, the chairman of the Chinese Communist Party and leader of China at the time, attempted to rid Chinese society of its capitalist and traditionalist elements. In doing so, he asserted his power over the Chinese people.
Many of the pieces in the AMOCA exhibit depict Mao, both by himself and with others. Some of the ceramics showed images of Mao with what appears to be common people.
One lineup places him alongside Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, all dominant communist figures in history.
Similarly, many of the other works depicting people show them praising Mao and his ideology.
Two works in particular highlighted this: in one, a trio of soldiers stood proud, lifting copies of Mao’s “Little Red Book.” In the other, a group of people held portraits of Mao and the red flag.
“The almost religious quality it has where you’re not simply telling people what to do, though they did a lot of that,” said Steve Moss, who recently attended the exhibit. “They’re trying to get people to buy into the ideology.”
Frederick Ernst, a student at the Science Academy STEM Magnet in North Hollywood, attended the exhibit because he is interested in learning about different governments in history.
“The peasants weren’t exactly that educated,” Ernst said. “So having a visual way to introduce the ideologies of the CPP (Chinese Communist Party) and of Mao seemed really interesting to me… I wanted to know more of how that worked.”
Several pieces in the show depicted landscapes painted onto porcelain jars and other surfaces.
Some of the walls in the gallery provided more information about the different aspects of the Cultural Revolution, such as the cult of Mao and information on the Red Guard, among other things.
“Overall, it is the creation of different sections and themes that I think are really important for the visitor experience and to better understand the history of the movement and artistic practice in ceramic production during this time,” Kwan said.
Kwan said she wanted people to see this show to learn more about this period in history, as it is not something taught in many high school classrooms. Pam Aliaga, the exhibition manager at AMOCA, echoed the sentiment.
“Everyone tends to learn about the Holocaust, so you do have an idea of what a dictatorship is, and what propaganda looks like,” Aliaga said. “However, you don’t realize. . . that’s happened elsewhere with other dictatorships, unless you’re a history major or a history buff, then you do get to learn about those.”
AMOCA is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays through Sundays. The exhibition runs until May 3. Ticket prices range from $0 for members to $14 for general admission and students pay $7.
For more information, visit amoca.org/current-exhibits/fired_in_revolution.
Natalia Rodriguez can be reached at natalia.rodriguez@laverne.edu.
Natalia Rodriguez is a senior creative writing and communications major. She is a member of ULV's The Blank Page Writer's Club and has served as a staff member for the school's literary magazine, Prism Review. She is currently arts editor and a staff photographer for the Campus Times and previously served as a staff writer.
Joseph Nocero is a senior photography major at the University of La Verne and a staff photographer for the Campus Times and photography editor for La Verne Magazine. His work can also be found at Joseph Nocero Photography.
