Mao Zedong: The Role of The Arts. Literature & Language Essay

Mao Zedong: The Role of The Arts
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Mao Zedong: The Role of The Arts
Art is an essential tool for society. Over the years, art has been used to promote culture, fight oppression, and extend political ideals. Chinese art is one that emphasizes nature and its beauty. The origins of Chinese art are unknown. However, how it has been influenced over the years is quite evident. For instance, during the Mongol dynasty, the conquest of Persia allowed the Mongols to absorb a lot of artistic elements used by the Persians. Over time, Chinese art has transformed to embody a blend of traditional and contemporary visuals.
In 1981, a leading ideologist, Hu Qiaomu, said that Mao’s views on arts were made of ideas that were logically incorrect but fundamentally strong. According to the ideologist, Mao did not understand, and neither did he have confidence in artists. He would often refer to them as the bourgeoisie. This was Mr. Hu’s opinion of the man whose writings were once an aspiration to many Chinese. This paper seeks to explore Mao Zedong’s view on the role of the arts.
Mao saw art and politics as complementary tools. According to Mao, everyday life is livelier than art. However, it is also more complex and chaotic. So, art projects a fantasy of everyday life. Through this projection, people can see an image of what they want to be in their future. Culture is made up of elements of behavior, sound, narratives, colors, and scenes. All these elements exist to awaken revolutionary feelings within the masses. Still, according to Mao, people do not need to be reminded of everyday hunger, oppression, and cold by art. Instead, art should be a tool through which they visualize the possibility of transcended suffering.
Hence, it is on these grounds that Mao advocates for a combination of aesthetic and political criteria when judging works of art. Groundbreaking content with uninspiring ideas does not evoke any real emotions. However, a captivating work of art could stir reactionary politics. Thus, for Mao, classic art should fuse groundbreaking content with high artistic quality. In addition to stirring people’s hearts, great works of art should provide people with visions of their collective power and future. Through this configuration, art and politics become intimately bound together.
Moving from aesthetic exposure to negativism to counterrevolution is not possible. Hence, Mao suggests that art be limited to an optimistic embodiment of political groups. Aesthetic exposure is encouraged and allowed only when it is used against enemies. Concerning enemies, the work of artists is to expose their deceit, cruelty and also point out their inevitable defeat. Towards allies, artists should hold an attitude of criticism and alliance. In addition to this, they should encourage the achievements of the allies and chastise their apathy. Concerning the masses,...