The past few years have seen several private and public endeavours that have re-assembled photographic archives of China. Of particular interest is Sheila Zhao’s “China Lost and Found” project that focuses on vernacular photographs, in other words mundane and utilitarian photographs taken by common people.
Zhao is a Shanghai-based photographer who has been trying to make sense of the innumerable disposed-of candid prints she has been unearthing in flea markets. In order to do so, she has created an Instagram account, which has already gathered hundred of nicely digitized photographs. Her reconstructed archive encompasses snapshots covering almost the entire twentieth century. In her series “The East Was Red” she has been examining records taken between 1966 and 1976. This period corresponded to the Cultural Revolution: a period of political upheaval launched by Mao Zedong to encourage a return to revolutionary attitudes.
She explains: “China’s Cultural Revolution movement lasted for ten years (1966-1976), during which time the political agenda of China’s one party government, led by its charismatic then helmsman, Mao Zedong, seeped into almost every aspect of the lives of ordinary Chinese citizens. So successful was the government’s endeavor that it profoundly influenced the collective visual consciousness of the time. When opportunities came for picture taking, a relative luxury at the time, most people deliberately chose to include symbols of the political narrative - wearing Mao pins for instance, or standing in front of a poster or statue of Mao. Society adapted itself to show reverence towards Mao’s god-like persona as well as for its citizens to demonstrate their loyalty and eagerness to be a part of the greater push for Mao’s political and socioeconomic reforms. This series is an exploration of the impact of this phenomenon and how a political agenda altered the vernacular visual language of China's history. The title is a reference to “The East Is Red”, the de facto Cultural Revolution anthem played everyday throughout China during this time.”
