Printmaking in post-war Sichuan: Regional art development in the People's Republic of China, 1949-1966

Government-supported artists working in Sichuan Province in the early years of the People's Republic of China (PRC) used the medium of woodblock printmaking to create many of their propaganda images. These printmakers were known for their detailed monochrome prints and colorful water-based prints that took the daily activities of Chinese people, especially rural citizens and ethnic minorities, as a major subject. These artists worked in a Socialist Realist style modified by the influence of traditional Chinese painting, modern Japanese printmaking, and European Expressionism. The professional success of this group of printmakers can be attributed not only to the skill of each individual but also to the group's effectiveness in promoting their prints nationally. This dissertation examines the historical conditions and stylistic sources that contributed to the development of printmaking in Sichuan during the period from the founding of the PRC in 1949 until the onset of the Cultural Revolution in 1966.;Chapter One, "Historical Background and Artistic Context for Post-War Sichuan Printmaking," provides an overview of the history of printmaking throughout China and in Sichuan in the 1930s and 40s and describes the modern print styles developed in the PRC's various printmaking centers during the 1950s and early 60s. It shows both how Sichuan prints were similar to those produced elsewhere in China and also how they were distinctively different. It then examines the domestic and foreign stylistic influences at play in the creation of these post-war Sichuan prints. Chapter Two, "Effective Arts Management: The Development of Post-War Sichuan Printmaking," details the history and organization of Sichuan's major art institutions during the period from 1949 to 1966. It also briefly describes the biographies of the province's most influential printmakers from this period and investigates their body of work. Finally, it analyzes the organizational and interpersonal factors that led to the success of Sichuan printmakers at the national level. Chapters Three and Four, "Depicting Southwest China: Rural Journeys and Images of the Countryside" and "Constructing a Multiethnic China: Visualizing the Ethnic Minorities," investigate the role Sichuan prints played as propaganda, portraying the nation's countryside and the ethnic minorities of China's southwest to the rest of the nation. The prints supported government efforts to relocate urban youth to the countryside and promoted unity between Han and non-Han citizens. The conception of ethnic minorities that these prints conveyed became a fundamental part of the idea of the Chinese nation, and the power of this imagery and its value to the central government assured the place of Sichuan printmaking on the national stage.;This dissertation examines regionalism in the modern art of China by studying an influential provincial site for printmaking production in the early years of the PRC. It shows how local officials and individual artists could create a space for distinct artistic creativity while remaining within the confines of national policies. This dissertation also provides insight into the role of the visual arts in constructing a modern Chinese multiethnic state. It analyzes how prints were used in Sichuan between 1949 and 1966 as propaganda tools to promote the Communist Party's administrative approach to cultivating multiculturalism in China and managing the country's urban-rural divide.