This thesis examines the construction of agriculture in 15 North Korean propaganda posters issued between 1995 and 2010 provided by the Willem van der Bijl collection. The analysis adheres to an...Show moreThis thesis examines the construction of agriculture in 15 North Korean propaganda posters issued between 1995 and 2010 provided by the Willem van der Bijl collection. The analysis adheres to an altered version of the Four Sites theory by Gillian Rose to connect the results to the relevant socio-political context to uncover change, continuity, and trends in the visual construction of agriculture. The analysis discovers three main results: a strong presence of patriarchal values, the reuse of old revolutionary symbols related to Kim Il Sung, and various specific agricultural campaigns that offer a window into the economic turmoil that is the 1990s and 2000s. It concludes that the construction of agriculture portrays a successful socialist agricultural system. But the posters also reveal the government’s attempt to cope with economic distress and prevent collapse by seeking to motivate North Korea’s adult population through posters.Show less
A study of Mao’s representation in various forms in Chinese history, focusing on a historical timeframe from the 1949 until the early 1990s. With a reflection on the historical, social and cultural...Show moreA study of Mao’s representation in various forms in Chinese history, focusing on a historical timeframe from the 1949 until the early 1990s. With a reflection on the historical, social and cultural context behind, this study investigates Mao’s iconicity by analyzing the tropes and the meanings of Mao’s representations in history, including the Mao posters, the Mao badges and Political Pop arworks. One the one hand, I dissect the different ideologies behind the Chinese contexts and explore the ways they interact with the depiction of Mao in Chinese history. On the other hand, I believe that the form of representation often has a noteworthy effect on what is being represented. Therefore, I delve into the discussion of each artistic medium, in order to see their roles in the development of Mao’s iconicity. With this thesis, I explore the historical evolvement of Mao's icon from a propagandist subject to a popular symbol in Chinese culture.Show less
